Love Match
by Lucinders
Summary: Professional tennis player Owen Hunt has a terrible reputation as a playboy. He sees a young woman at his matches but she seems to be uninterested in him or his game. This is his quest to win her over. Naturally AU.
1. Chapter 1 Meeting his biggest fans

Owen Hunt rubbed his eyes, as he woke up. Next to him was this redhead he had picked up last night at that party. What the heck was her name? All he could remember was that she was a model and she was in Vogue last month. Ah, Birgitte was her name, he finally remembered. He needed to get her out of there before he headed to his first round tennis match at the US Open. Maybe he could get Jesper, his personal assistant, to get her some tickets for herself and a couple of her friends to one of his matches.

There was a knock on his door. He knew it could only be Jesper. Owen found his boxer briefs and a pair of track pants and pulled those on, before he answered the door.

"Good morning, sir," Jesper said, handing him a newspaper, as he stepped inside the hotel room. He glanced over at the bed and saw the redheaded woman, still asleep in the bed. "Sir, do you need me to take care of that?"

"Yes, if you can, Jesper," Owen said. "I am going to take a shower, grab some breakfast downstairs and head down to the stadium." He ran into the bathroom and by the time, he got out, he was alone. Jesper had indeed taken care of the problem. Knowing Jesper, Owen knew that he had escorted the young lady downstairs and placed her in a cab, paying the driver her fare and a generous tip. He was going to miss Jesper, since his personal assistant was going to quit his employ at the end of the US Open. Jesper was getting married to his girlfriend, Pia, back in Sweden and he said he needed to stay in one place for his future bride. He could not be traipsing all over the world, working for a professional tennis player, while he had a wife at home. Jesper took care of almost everything for Owen. He got him tickets for games, made sure his suits were cleaned and ready for any formal function, handled all of his airline bookings, and always took care of his personal delicate matters, as Jesper did, that very morning.

Owen knew he had a terrible reputation with the ladies. His prowess in the bedroom was as well known as his skills on the tennis court. He was noted for dating mainly actresses and models and appeared in People magazine, as much as he appeared in Tennis World. He was currently the number two professional tennis player in the world amongst the men. He had been number one until that young upstart from Spain, Pablo Quinteras, began winning a bunch of tournaments and skyrocketed to the top of the tennis rankings. Owen was 26, while Pablo was 22. Pablo had won the Australian Open and the French Open, while Owen had managed to take the Wimbledon title. Hopefully, if he could win the US Open, he could take back his number one tennis ranking. He knew sleeping with a model was not the way to start his quest for the US Open title but the girl kept throwing herself at him at the party. He changed into his track suit from his sponsor. They really liked when he wore their gear in public. He would change into his tennis whites at the stadium before the match. He picked up the bag that Jesper had packed with his clothes, towels and water bottles. He knew that Jesper would already have his tennis racquets and balls already packed in another bag and placed in their car. He headed down to the dining room for some breakfast. He was going to have a light breakfast. He could not be sluggish out on the court, especially since he had an early match, that day. He had already started his breakfast, when Jesper joined him at the table.

"Did you take care of her?" Owen asked. Jesper nodded. "Thank you, Jesper. You are a good man. I am going to miss you, when you leave me."

"Thank you, sir," Jesper said. "Have you thought about getting a new personal assistant? I am leaving at the end of the tournament."

Owen groaned. "Why must you remind that you are leaving me that soon?"

"Well, I don't want to see you without an assistant, when I leave to go back to Sweden," Jesper said. "It has to be done, sir."

"Yes, I know," Owen said. "Have you had breakfast as yet? They have quite a spread at the buffet table."

"Yes, I have," Jesper said. "Everything is already in the car. Just waiting for you to finish your breakfast." Owen finished the last of his buttered toast and drained his tea. "Yes, I am ready." Jesper picked up Owen's bag and they headed to the car in the basement parking.

Owen got into the back seat, while Jesper got into the driver's seat. Soon, they were on their way to the stadium for warm-ups and his first-round match.

* * *

"Come on, Cristina, we are going to be late," 10-year-old Nicholas said, tugging at his cousin's hand, as they headed to Court 2 for the first round tennis match of the US Open. Cristina was taking her cousins Nicholas and Nathaniel, 12, to the match. They were going to see the boys' favorite tennis player, Owen Hunt, the number two player in the world.

Cristina did not know much about Owen Hunt other than his name and the fact that he dated a lot of celebrity women and that he was supposedly really good at tennis. Tennis was not her sport. She couldn't care less about it. Now, she knew everything about figure skating because she was a pretty good figure skater and had competed when she was younger. She was 21 years old and had just graduated from Dartmouth College. Her parents had sent her from New Hampshire to New York to her Aunt Dorothy's place, so she could find a job in Manhattan. Since she hadn't found a job as yet, her uncle Murray was paying her to take the boys to the US Open. He had promised the boys that they would get to see every single match that Owen Hunt was playing in, right up to the finals, if he made it that far. They would miss a couple days of school, but it was negotiated that as long as the boys kept up with their homework assignments, they would be able to go to the tennis matches. She had brought herself a good book. She hoped that this game would be over in straight sets, so she could go home and get her babysitting payment. They went to their seats and she had to admit that Uncle Murray had got them some really good seats. It was close to the action and her little cousins were excited.

"Ooh, look at these seats," Nate said. "We're going to see every stroke they make." Since it was an early round match, it was not packed in the stands. Cristina put on her dark glasses and pulled out her book. The players were announced and both came out to warm up on the courts. She knew that Hunt was the blonde guy and his opponent was some Frenchman, Marcel LaCroix. They started passing shots to each other and when he went for one of his shots, Owen noticed her out of the corner of his eye. She had the darkest, glossiest head of curls he had ever seen. She had on dark sunglasses on her delicate face and instead of looking at the players, she was reading a book. Next to her were two animated young boys, who were taking in every stroke, even though the match had not yet started. When the boys noticed that Hunt was looking in their direction, they got very excited. "Cristina, he is looking our way. Shall we wave?" Nick asked.

"I guess," she said, giving the player a quick glance. The two boys waved at Owen, and he waved back. They were clearly fans. Now, only if the girl with them, would wave back. She looked young, in her early 20's. She could be their sister or their babysitter, he wondered. His thoughts were interrupted as the referee announced the start of the match. It was an easy win for Owen as he won the match in straight sets. During the match, he would glance over at the dark-haired girl and she was still reading her book. He felt personally affronted. Here he was, doing some of his best work in wrapping up this match in straight sets, and she did not look up, not once. What was so interesting in her book? When he won, the two little boys jumped up and clapped, wildly. He acknowledged their applause by giving them a special wave. Cristina said, "Let's go, guys." She wanted to get the two boys out of there before people started exiting. Owen went to his chair to pack up his racquets and towels. By the time he looked back up, the girl and her two young charges were gone. "Damn," he said. He hoped that they would come to a second match.

At his second round match against German player Gunther Mueller, he looked around for the dark-haired girl and the two young boys, he was gratified when he saw them, there again. They were there for his third round, fourth round, quarter finals and his semi-finals matches. Yet, for every match, while he was playing some of his best tennis, the girl would just take out a book and read. That was so aggravating, he thought. He was used to women fawning over him and trying to get his attention.

He decided to make a move after winning his semi-final match. As usual, Cristina was ready to get out of there. Owen went across with three autographed tennis balls in hand.

"Hey," he said, looking up at them. "I have seen you at all of my matches." Nate and Nick were so excited that Owen Hunt was actually speaking to them. Nate gulped before he spoke. "Yes, me and my little brother are your biggest fans."

"That's awesome," Owen said. "What are your names?" Nate answered, "I am Nate Cohen and this is my brother, Nick. This is Cristina Yang. She is our cousin." So that was her name, Owen thought. Cristina was a lovely name.

"Would you like to get some autographed balls?" Owen asked.

"Would we? Yes, yes, yes!" Nick screamed. Owen threw up the balls for them. He looked at Cristina. "There is one here for you, too."

"Okay," she said. "Thank you." He threw the ball for her and she neatly caught it. "Good catch, Cristina. So are you coming to the finals?"

"Yes," she said. "Then my babysitting duty is done." Owen smiled. "Then, looking forward to seeing you at the finals."

"Goodbye," the boys said. "See you soon." They waved at him, as they left.

So they are going to be at the finals. Great, he thought. He could get Jesper to invite them out, after the finals and the press conferences, under the guise of meeting the fans.

He made the suggestion to Jesper, who shook his head. He knew exactly why his boss wanted to socialize with these particular fans, since he talked more about the girl than the two young boys. "Okay, sir," Jesper said. He shook his head, again. Owen Hunt dated celebrities and models. What did he want with this young woman, who seemed to be just a normal girl? Jesper hoped his boss knew what he was doing, especially since he should be concentrating on his finals match against Pablo Quinteras.

* * *

It was the day of the finals. Owen looked around and saw the girl and his two biggest fans there, as usual. He pointed them out to Jesper, who knew exactly what to do. Jesper found his way into the stands and worked his way to Cristina and her cousins.

"Good day," he said. "My name is Jesper Anderberg and I am Mr. Hunt's personal assistant. He spoke to you all at the semi-finals. He wondered if you and your cousins would like to meet with him after the match. He recognizes that the boys are really big fans and would like to chat with them. Would that be okay with you?"

"Please, please, please, Cristina," the two boys pleaded. "We will clean your room for you."

"Okay," Cristina said. "Fine." Jesper said, "I will fetch you after the match. We will probably just get some refreshments." The promise of food perked Cristina up.

As Jesper left, the boys told her that she couldn't be reading a book, today because it was the finals of the US Open. "Since Mr. Hunt invited us, you should be watching the match. It will be disrespectful for you to be reading, when he is out there, playing his heart out," Nate said. "What if he looks up and sees you reading?" Cristina sighed and put away her book. "Alright, Nate, you have a point," she said. "I will watch the match."

The match turned out to be a five-set thriller with two tie-breakers. Cristina found herself rooting for Owen, even though she hadn't cared about who won before. It was only because he was being so nice to them that she was pulling for him. In the end, Hunt prevailed. He was the US Open champion. As he raised his trophy in the air, he did look over at them and see that she was clapping, just as wildly, as her two cousins. Jesper had come to them and was escorting them out of the stadium. Owen still had his press conference, so Jesper was taking them to the restaurant at the hotel and was entertaining them. An hour later, after the press conference, Owen finally made it back to his hotel. He went directly to the restaurant, where it seemed they were having a really good time with Jesper, who had them rolling with laughter.

"Hey," Owen said. "Glad you guys could make it."

"Congratulations, Mr. Hunt," the boys said. "Yes, congratulations. It was a very exciting match," Cristina said.

"I am glad you enjoyed it," he said. "So I see you guys have already ordered your food. That's good." He ordered a club sandwich for himself and a cappuccino.

"So how long have you been fans?" Owen asked. "Like forever," Nick answered. "Since I was eight." Owen recognized that two years was a long time for a 10-year-old boy. "Four years," Nate answered.

"What about you, Cristina?" he asked. "Honestly," she answered. "I have never been into tennis before but today may have changed me. It was an awesome sight, today."

"I am glad that I have converted you into a tennis fan," he said. "So what do you do, Cristina?"

"Nothing for the moment. I just graduated from Dartmouth and I came to New York to look for a job," Cristina said. "So, right now I am staying with my aunt and uncle, who are the boys' parents."

"So you are looking for a job?" Owen said. "I may have the thing for you."

* * *

**A/N Please leave your comments. This is a new story, so I am gauging feedback on whether I should continue this.**


	2. Chapter 2 Opportunity of a Lifetime

"A job?" Cristina said, perking up immediately. "What kind of job?"

"Well, Jesper, who is my personal assistant, will soon be leaving my employ," Owen said. "Jesper is going back to Sweden to get married to the love of his life, Pia." He slapped Jesper on the back, as he said it. Jesper smiled, uneasily. Was Mr. Hunt really going to give the job to this young girl?

"So what does a personal assistant do?" she asked, interestedly.

"Well, he keeps me in line, does errands for me, ensure that I am always on time for my meetings, matches and interviews, takes care of my wardrobe, makes airline and dinner reservations, books tickets for games and shows, actually practically anything that I would need to make my life easier," Owen said. "It requires great organization skills and quick thinking. Ability to speak foreign languages will also be an asset."

"I do," she said, excitedly. "Other than English, I speak five other languages – French, Spanish, Italian, German and Korean. Currently learning Mandarin and Russian."

"Wow," both Jesper and Owen said at the same time.

"How is it that you know so many languages?" Owen asked, curiously. Cristina grinned and said, "My dad. He was originally a languages teacher. He is now the principal of my old high school. My mom is a librarian."

"Well, that talent will certainly be useful in this job," Owen said. "It will require a lot of traveling but you will be very well compensated. Jesper and I have traveled all over the world, together, for the past three years. Now, he is abandoning me for the love of a woman."

"Now, sir, you know Pia has been very understanding over the last three years. I have been with you more than I have been with her," Jesper reminded him. "I think it is now her turn to occupy my attention."

"Yes, I know, Jesper," Owen said. He turned back to Cristina, "So is it something that you would be interested in?"

"Yes," she said. "I am very interested. I do have to talk to my parents and my aunt and uncle about it because of all of the travel. But yes, I am interested."

"Good," Owen said. He got a business card from Jesper and handed it to her, but not before he wrote down his cell number on it. Jesper raised an eyebrow. It was rare that his boss ever gave out his personal cell number. Usually, it was Jesper who handled calls from over-eager women. He looked at the young woman, reading the card. He hoped for her sake that his boss did not have any designs on her. She was unlike the usual women that Owen Hunt dated. Those women tended to be worldly and were very aware of the social scene and the way things worked. This girl seemed a little too sheltered and was probably never exposed to the type of life that Owen Hunt lived. She was a smart girl but was she ready for this kind of life? Jesper shook his head. He had serious doubts about this.

Owen said, "Call me soon. I am heading to my estate in the Hamptons but I will only be there for two weeks." Cristina nodded.

After their little meeting, Owen had Jesper take Cristina and her cousins home. "Thanks, Jesper," Cristina said, as they scrambled out of their car and went into the brownstone. They all waved as Jesper drove off. Jesper decided that since he was leaving Mr. Hunt's employ, there was no harm, now in expressing some of his doubts about the girl and especially, what was really Owen's motivation in offering the girl the job.

* * *

"Dad, Mom," Nate and Nick screamed, as they got into the house. "Did you see it on tv? He won!"

Murray Cohen, the children's dad, smiled. "So you guys had a very good time? Why did you all come back so late? The match ended two hours ago."

"Because Mr. Hunt took us out for treats," Nick screamed. "He sent his personal assistant to fetch us and we had sandwiches and juice at his hotel. It was just awesome."

"Now why would he do that?" Dorothy Cohen said. Dorothy was the younger sister of Cristina's mother, Helen. "I know he gave you all those autographed balls. Why are you guys so special?"

"Because we are his biggest fans!" Nate said. "We were at all of his matches. He noticed us."

"Hmm," Dorothy said. She wondered if it had anything to do with her pretty niece with the dark curls, who was strangely quiet. "So, Cristina, did you all have a good time?"

"Yes," Cristina said, quietly. She wanted to talk about the job and to hear their opinions on it, before she called her parents. "I have something to ask you."

"Is it about the job?" Nick yelled. Cristina gave him a deadly stare. That was not the way she wanted to tell them.

"What job?" Murray perked up. He knew his niece had come to New York for a job, but since her parents had left her in their care, he was very interested in what kind of job she was getting.

"Well, Mr. Hunt has offered me this job as his personal assistant. His current personal assistant is leaving the job to get married. He said it would include a lot of traveling and I would be well compensated. I will be handling all of the things that he needs me to do like his bookings, reservations, getting him to places on time, taking care of his wardrobe, doing errands. That sort of thing," she said.

"What? Your parents did not send you to an Ivy League college for you to go traipsing around the world, picking up after some playboy professional tennis player. I have read those tabloid stories about that man," Dorothy said.

"But it will be a great opportunity to see the world," Cristina said. "I have spent all my life in New Hampshire and I want to see new countries, meet new people, learn about new cultures. Besides, I don't think I will keep this job for more than two years."

"I have my doubts about this," Dorothy said. "Let's call your parents." Surprisingly, while Cristina's mom had her reservations, it was her dad, Burt, who gave her the go-ahead. As a man who spoke many languages, he never had much opportunity to practice them. He saw this as an amazing opportunity for his daughter to experience a life he had never lived for himself and one he could never give her. There was little that Dorothy and Murray could do to object, now that her dad had given her his blessing.

"I would still like to meet Mr. Hunt," Dorothy said. "It will put my mind at ease. It is not that I don't trust your judgement, Cristina but you are a young girl and I wouldn't like anything to happen to you."

"Okay," Cristina said. She had a big smile on her face because she knew it was the opportunity of a lifetime.

* * *

Jesper had returned to the hotel to pack up Mr. Hunt's belongings. They were headed to Owen's Hamptons estate, where he was going to unwind for a bit before going on the road again. Jesper had planned to get Owen settled on the estate before his departure at the end of the week. As they drove to the estate, Jesper figured it was a good time as any to talk about the girl and his own reservations about hiring her.

"Sir," Jesper said. "May I have permission to speak, freely?"

"Yes, Jesper," Owen said. "You only have a week left with me. You can tell me anything you wish."

"Sir, I know it is important that we get a new personal assistant before I leave at the end of the week but are you certain Ms. Yang is the person for the job. She is a young girl from a rural town in New Hampshire and seems to be very sheltered. I am not sure she is ready for your lifestyle," Jesper said. Jesper was talking about the wild parties and the number of women Owen invariably picked up.

"I am sure that she is a quick learner. She seems to be a very smart girl and she speaks more languages than you do, Jesper," Owen said. He knew exactly what Jesper was getting at but he decided to ignore it.

"And, sir, I am going to approach this next question, very delicately," Jesper cleared his throat. "Are you interested in the young lady, by any chance? She is not like any of the women to which you are accustomed."

"Jesper, Jesper, Jesper," Owen said. "I am going to be a perfect gentleman when it comes to Ms. Yang. She will be my personal assistant, not my bedmate. There are lots of other women who will gladly fulfill that role." Jesper looked at his boss, only half-believing him. "I hope so, sir. She will more than likely get hurt and I don't want that to happen to her." He knew that the women his boss bedded were usually women who were aware that they were one-night stands and were up for casual sex with a famous athlete.

Owen knew that Jesper had seen right through him. He was interested in the young woman. He never had to pursue a woman; they always came to him. Here he was, actively pursuing this girl by offering her a job. He had to stand by his word that he would always be a gentleman to her. It was then that his phone rang. He didn't recognize the number, which surprised him, because he hardly ever gave out his personal cell phone number. Obviously, it had to be somebody that knew him.

"Hello," he answered.

"Hi, it's me, Cristina Yang," he heard her voice. His heart skipped a beat at the sound of her voice.

"I spoke to my parents and my aunt and uncle and I have decided to take the job," she said.

"You have?" he said, the glee in his voice was evident. "Great. Well, I am headed to my Hamptons estate, right now. Would you be able to drive up to the estate and we can get started on your working arrangements and your salary, of course? I also would like you to work with Jesper for the last week he is with me. He will explain all of his duties to you." Jesper nodded his agreement. He sighed; he would do his best to prepare this young woman on Mr. Hunt's lifestyle.

"That's fine. I am very excited. Give me the address and I can get my aunt and uncle to drop me off," she said. Owen gave her the address of the estate. "I will have the housekeeper prepare a room for you. Okay, I will see you, tomorrow." Owen clicked off the phone.

"So she took the job?" Jesper said. "Yes, she did," Owen said. "Just call Marguerite and tell her to prepare one of the guest rooms for a young woman." Jesper did as he was told.

* * *

The next day, Uncle Murray and Aunt Dorothy drove Cristina to Owen's estate. They had dropped off the boys at a friend's house before they left, even though the boys begged to come. Cristina had already told her cousins goodbye. All three of them cried and hugged each other. When they arrived at the estate, they were all taken aback by the size of the house and the grounds.

"Wow," Cristina said. "He makes a lot of money to afford this."

"Yes, he does," Murray said, admiringly. They parked their car on the circular driveway and walked up to the house to ring the bell. The door was opened by a middle-aged woman in a grey and white housekeeper's outfit, who ushered them into the living room. Dorothy stood admiring all of the furnishings, while Murray examined the intricate work on the fireplace. Cristina took a seat on the leather sofa. She stood up when Owen came into the room.

"Good evening," Owen said. "So glad that you didn't get lost."

"No, no. GPS is a wonderful tool," Murray said. "Good to meet you, Mr. Hunt. My name is Murray Cohen and this is my wife, Dorothy. You know Cristina, of course." Owen and Murray heartily shook hands. Murray liked that – the young man had a firm handshake.

"So, Cristina, I had my lawyer draw up an employment contract with your first day of work being tomorrow. Please read it through and see if it is to your liking. It lists your duties, salary, health benefits, vacation time and other benefits," Owen said, handing over a contract to Cristina.

"May I see that?" Murray asked. There was no way he was going to allow his young niece to get gypped. As he started reading, his eyes opened wide as he read the compensation package.

"Given that she may be on call at odd hours, the compensation has to match that," Owen said, noting the man's amazed expression.

"I see," Murray said, as he handed the document over to his wife for a read. She was just as impressed as her husband. Dorothy then handed the contract to Cristina, who was a little miffed that everyone else was reading her contract before she got the chance to do so. They were treating her like a child. After all, she was 21 years old. She read through the contract and was suitably impressed. She had never seen so much money being offered before. At her last job, she worked in the school library for not much money.

"This is very generous, Mr. Hunt," she said.

"Well, I do like to keep my employees happy and you will be working closely with me," Owen said. "If you wish, we can sign the contract, now and we can put your suitcases up in your bedroom. Marguerite prepared a room for you."

Murray and Dorothy did like the professionalism that Hunt had approached the employment of their niece. Cristina looked to them. They nodded. It was an excellent package, especially for a young woman with little or no work experience. Both Owen and Cristina signed the contract, with Murray as a witness.

Murray and Dorothy hugged her goodbye and told her to call every week. She wiped a tear away, as they left.

"Now that is settled," Owen said. "I can have Marguerite take you up to your room." Cristina followed the housekeeper up to a lovely yellow room with a beautiful, metal four-poster bed. She put her suitcase in the closet before she lay on the bed. She fell asleep and didn't wake up till the next morning.

There was a knock on the door. She struggled to get out of the bed, as she went to open the door. It was Jesper.

"Good morning, Cristina. Welcome to the world of Owen Hunt. Today is the first day of your education."

* * *

**A/N Please leave your comments. I do appreciate when you take the time to do so.**


	3. Chapter 3 About Mr Hunt

After Cristina and Jesper had breakfast at the kitchen table, he took her to the office to start the day's work.

"Does Mr. Hunt usually get up this late?" she asked, since she had not seen him come down for breakfast.

"Well, he does like to sleep in when he is not playing a tournament. Marguerite will probably take up a tray for him," Jesper said. "So don't worry about him." He laid out a legal-looking document in front of her.

"As Mr. Hunt's personal assistant, you will now become privy to many intimate details of his life. Therefore, I need you to sign this confidentiality agreement, before we get started. We don't want you, writing a tell-all book, when you leave his employ. Take a read before you sign it." Cristina started reading and her eyes widened at the penalties, if she broke the agreement, where she could be sued. She took a deep breath, as she signed it, with Jesper co-signing as a witness.

They sat down in front of a computer. "Now that we got that out of the way. Let's get started. I think you should start taking notes. Okay, here is the business e-mail. We usually get notices from his publicist and his agent on this email. These will give you his competition dates and his appearances. Also any meetings. You will have to make the arrangements for him to get to these. Of course, that means setting up his schedule. If there are conflicts, you will have to arrange for different times. Get to know these people well. His publicist is Norma Welles and his agent is Carey Stockten. You will see at the bottom of their emails are their contact numbers. Commit their emails and numbers to memory."

That was just the start, as Jesper continued on and on about all she had to do. Cristina felt her head was going to explode. He could see that she was starting to feel overwhelmed, as she observed her panicked face.

"Breathe, Cristina, breathe. It is going to be okay. I felt the same way, when I first started. There was so much to do. The job, as I always like to say, is a combination of secretary, valet, chauffeur, personal shopper and errand boy. In your case, that would be errand girl. However, there is one aspect of the job that I have to warn you about," Jesper said. "Do you find Mr. Hunt handsome?"

That was a weird question, Cristina thought. "I guess so," she replied. "If you like that type." Jesper could feel the edges of his lips, twitching into a smile. This was so rare for someone to make such a statement. Usually, women kept falling over themselves, trying to get Owen Hunt to notice them.

"I am curious. What exactly do you mean by that?" Jesper asked. "Many women find Mr. Hunt quite attractive."

"Oh, I didn't say that he wasn't attractive. He is," Cristina said. "But I don't usually date blondes."

"Oh," Jesper said, suddenly becoming self-conscious of his blonde hair. She quickly realized what she had just said. "No offense, Jesper. It is just that I have always dated guys with dark hair. Like that guy. Dark hair." He saw her pointing to a picture of Pablo Quinteras on the back page of the newspaper. Jesper could not help but chuckle. Hunt's main rival on the tennis courts – Pablo Quinteras – was who she found to be attractive.

"Do you know who that is?" Jesper asked. She nodded. "Yes, he is the guy that Mr. Hunt played against in the US Open finals," she responded. "He lost to Mr. Hunt."

"Yes, he is. He is also one of Mr. Hunt's major opponents. He and Mr. Hunt have been trading the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in the ATP rankings for the past year. They are intense rivals," Jesper said. She took in the information, noting that she should not mention Quinteras' name, unnecessarily, in case it aggravated her boss.

"Okay, as I was saying, there are some rather delicate parts of the job that you need to know about. I am going to be blunt about this, so don't be shocked," Jesper asked. "This is why I asked you if you found him handsome. Well, many women do and as such, he attracts a lot of female attention. He has dated a lot of models and actresses, since he has been on the circuit. He has not had a steady girlfriend but he has had lots and lots of female companionship. Most of it is rather casual." He looked at her face to see if she was understanding what he was trying to say.

"You mean he has a lot of one night stands," she said in a non-judgemental tone. Jesper was surprised. She was less naïve that he thought she was.

"Yes, that is exactly what I mean. It will be your job to take care of these women, ensure that they leave the next morning," Jesper said. "It is not an easy job. Some of them can be a little prickly about it. But you need to get them in a taxi and back on their way home. Make sure you pay their cab fare and if they wish, offer them tickets to one of his matches."

"Okay," Cristina said. She didn't seem fazed by it all. He was pleased by that.

"I want to remind you that it is not your job to judge his choices. You may not agree with them but he is your boss and you are being extremely well-compensated for it. I am pretty sure of all of the personal assistants on the circuit, I am probably on the upper end in terms of salary and benefits," Jesper said, a little defensively. He was aware of his boss' faults but he was very loyal to him, since he was an extremely generous and understanding employer.

"I won't judge him. It is his life. He can live it how he wants," Cristina said.

"I don't want to give you the wrong idea about him but I had to make you aware of it," Jesper said. "He is a good man." Cristina nodded. "So what are we going to do now?"

"Going through the fan-mail," Jesper said, hauling a large bag of mail. "Usually, we get mail from his publicists. It is your job to go through them. Most of them are usually requests for autographed pictures, which you can handle. There is a whole stack of autographed pictures already waiting for those. Some are pretty heart-warming from fans about he has inspired them. You can show him those – he likes those. Then, there are the weird ones – naked pictures from strange women. You can get rid of those, immediately." Cristina giggled at the thought. Jesper did, too. "You would not believe the amount of weird mail he gets," he said. He liked the girl. She obviously had a good head on her shoulders. He had underestimated her, given her background but she was intelligent and savvy. That was half the battle and the other half was getting organized – a key element in this job. He had no doubts that she would succeed.

"Well, it is time for lunch. I am going to guess that Mr. Hunt will join us for lunch. Marguerite is an amazing cook," he said. "By the way, before I forget, I have to give you these." He handed her two envelopes. One had her name on it and the other had Owen's name on it. She opened the envelope with her name. She gasped as she read it. "It is an invitation to your wedding. But you don't even know me."

"You're going to accompany him to my wedding, anyway. It makes no sense that you are stuck at the hotel, while he is at my wedding. Come to my wedding, eat a little, dance a little, meet my bride, have a great time," he said.

"Thank you, Jesper. I would be honored to come to your wedding," Cristina said. "So I assume the other one is an invitation for Mr. Hunt."

"Yes, and a guest, if he wishes," Jesper said, but he knew full well that his boss would not be bringing a date. It would only be him and his young personal assistant.

"Come on, Cristina, we have had a very busy morning. Our lunch awaits," Jesper said. They headed down to the kitchen, where they found Owen, already sipping at a hearty soup, accompanied by garlic bread.

"Ah, you two, I have been waiting for you," Owen said. "But I couldn't hold out. Marguerite's soup is delicious, as usual." Cristina and Jesper sat down, while Marguerite brought them large steaming bowls of soup and garlic bread.

"Just showing Cristina all of the stuff she needs to do," Jesper said. "We have had a very productive morning, haven't we?"

"Yes, we have," Cristina said. "It is a lot of work but it just takes a lot of organization to keep everything in check."

"Good," Owen said. "What about this afternoon? Would you like to accompany me into town, Cristina? Let's get to know each other better." Cristina looked to Jesper for guidance. Jesper nodded that it was okay. "What the heck? You're asking Jesper if you can go into town with me? You don't need his approval." Owen was a little incredulous. "I am your employer, not Jesper," Owen continued. "If I ask you to come into town with me, you can say yes or no."

"Um, it's just that I did not know what Jesper had planned for the afternoon," Cristina said.

"It's okay," Jesper said. "That was a lot to take in this morning. You can use the break. We will continue after you come back."

"Thank you, Jesper, for allowing her to come with me," Owen said, a little sarcastically. He shook his head.

"It's fine, sir," Jesper replied in a sugar sweet tone. He wanted to laugh at Owen, especially since he knew that his boss had said he was going to be a perfect gentleman, when it came to young Miss Yang. It would be a struggle for him, Jesper knew. What Mr. Hunt didn't know was that Cristina was fond of brunettes, not blondes. Jesper chuckled, softly.

* * *

After lunch, Owen and Cristina drove into town. "So, Cristina, how has it been so far?"

"It has been very informative. Jesper is a good teacher," she replied.

"Well, he is exactly the reason why we are heading into town, today. We are going to get him a wedding present for his upcoming nuptials," Owen said. "I have already picked out something and I wanted your opinion on it."

"Speaking of Jesper's wedding, he gave me your invitation for his wedding. I will put it into your calendar," she said. "It is for you and a guest."

"Ah, well, you will be my guest for the wedding," Owen said.

"No, sir, I got my own invitation. You can still bring a guest," Cristina said. "Just inform me of her name, when you ask her and I will make airline and hotel bookings for the two of you."

Owen gritted his teeth, but he answered in a calm tone. "Please inform Jesper that it will just be me. There will be no plus-one."

"Okay, Mr. Hunt," she said. He looked across at her, sitting calmly in the passenger seat. He loved the way her raven curls framed her face. He stopped in front of an antiques store. "We are just going to pop in here. I have been eyeing a silver tea service set, which I think would make a perfect present."

They went inside the store. "Ah, Mr. Hunt, good to see you, again," the proprietor said.

"Hello, Mr. Wimbly," Owen said. "Can I see the tea service set again?"

"Certainly," Wimbly said, as he took down the set from its shelf and placed it on the counter. Cristina was surprised that Owen had such exquisite taste. "Do you think Pia would like this?" Owen asked Cristina.

"Very much so," Cristina answered, as she examined the creamer in the set. The set comprised a coffee pot, a tea pot, a creamer and a lidded sugar bowl, all on a silver tray.

"So it is a good choice," he said. "I am glad that you liked it." He took out his credit card and gave it to Mr. Wimbly, who happily swiped the card at the cash register. Cristina blinked at the price. She had never spent that much in her life on a present, in fact, on anything. Then, Mr. Wimbly packed the set in a box and handed it to Owen. They left the store and Owen placed the box on the back seat.

"So you will see about getting it all fancy and prettied up with wrapping paper and ribbon," Owen said to Cristina.

"Yes," she said. "It will be my pleasure, Mr. Hunt. Can we go to the greeting card store and pick up the paper and ribbons and a card?"

"Yup," he said. They went along to the greeting cards store, where she happily chose paper, ribbons and a card. He read the card and approved it before he paid for everything. As they got back into the car, she said, "I have to get them a present, too, but I don't have much money," she admitted.

"Don't worry about that," Owen said. "I will put your name on to my present and say it's from the both of us." She looked doubtful. "It's okay, Cristina. Really."

"Alright," she said, still feeling bad about it. As a young person just out of college, her finances were woeful, to say the least.

"I am also getting Jesper a watch. I'm having it engraved. Just something personal from me to him. He has been a great personal assistant for the last couple of years. I am going to miss him," Owen said. "And I am sure, Cristina, you and I are going to have a great working relationship."

"I hope so, Mr. Hunt," she said. "I want to do a good job."

"I am sure you will," he said. "Hey, let's stop at this ice cream parlor. What flavor do you want?" She stared at the board of flavors. "Let's try Monster Mint Oreo," she said. "What are you having?"

"Vanilla," he said. "I like the clean taste. I am a simple man." They got their ice cream and sat on a bench outside of the shop, just watching all of the passers-by. They didn't speak but just happily consumed their ice cream in companionable silence. When they were done, she leaned back on the bench and patted her tummy. "That was like bliss," she said. He laughed. "Glad that you enjoyed it. Let's head home."

When they got home, he told her, "I am going to take the present to my room, so Jesper won't see it. Follow me and you can wrap it up." She nodded.

Jesper came out to greet them. Owen made sure he got his hands on the box before Jesper could get to it. "Don't you want help, Mr Hunt?"

"No, no, I got it, Jesper," Owen said, as he hurriedly went into the house with it. Cristina followed him, with equal speed. Jesper was dumbfounded. He followed them into the house and noted both Owen and Cristina were going into Mr. Hunt's bedroom. Jesper did not like that at all.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your comments. Thanks for leaving your reviews. I appreciate when you do.**


	4. Chapter 4 Goodbye, Jesper

Cristina sat on the floor, pulled out the gift paper and the ribbon and then got busy wrapping the large box. After 10 minutes, the box was perfectly wrapped with a huge silver bow on it. In the meantime, Owen wrote out the card. He wrote: "Jesper and Pia, congratulations. We hope you have many wonderful years together. Best of luck, Owen and Cristina." As promised, he added her name to the card. He put the card in the envelope and stuck it under the ribbon.

"Wow," he said. "That is a splendid job, Cristina. I would have never been able to do that. Jesper usually does that for me, but obviously I couldn't ask him to do this, since the present is for him." He picked up the box and put it in his walk-in closet. "Since Jesper won't have to pack for me, ever again, he won't see this. Thank you, Cristina. I guess I will let you go back to Jesper for the rest of the afternoon."

"You're welcome, Mr. Hunt," she said, as she left the bedroom. As she came out, she could feel someone watching her. She observed Jesper looking up at her from downstairs. Jesper breathed a sigh of relief, when she came out. It seemed to Cristina like he had been waiting for her to come out of the bedroom. She came downstairs. "Hey, Jesper, what are we going to do now?"

"We're going back to the office. I want to introduce you to the business credit card," Jesper said. She followed him to the office. He pulled out a credit card from his wallet. "This is the business card. This is the card we use when we are buying stuff on behalf of Mr. Hunt. It is not to be used for your personal purchases. What shall we buy for him, today?"

"We can use it to buy the airline tickets for us to attend your wedding," Cristina said. "I spoke to him about it and he said he would not be bringing a guest."

"Okay, good. We are going to book his trip to Stockholm. My wedding is on Sunday, so we will book him to arrive on Friday, so he can attend some of the pre-wedding festivities like my bachelor party," Jesper said. He pulled up an airline website and started putting in the flight information. "Please book Mr. Hunt into first class. If not available, we can book him in business class but preferably first class. Ah, first class is available. That's good." He quickly booked the flight for Mr. Hunt. "Now we come to you. You will be flying in Coach. You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

"No," Cristina said. "I always fly Coach."

"Good, you will always book yourself in Coach," Jesper reminded. "Do you like a window or a aisle seat?"

"Aisle seat, please," Cristina said, as Jesper booked her seat. He printed out the airline reservations and receipt and handed them to Cristina. "Keep these."

"Okay, now we are going to make some hotel bookings," Jesper said. "Grand Hotel in Stockholm is a great hotel. Five star. Now we are going to book an executive suite for him and a standard room for you. He covers both your accommodation and your dining needs. Just use your discretion when ordering anything." Cristina nodded, as Jesper printed out the hotel reservations. He also handed those to Cristina.

"Well, there we go. That's how we use the business credit card. Please remember to keep all of your receipts when using the business credit card. You will have to submit them for Mr. Hunt's accountant, Johann Spiers, who pays all of the bills," Jesper said. He wrote down the accountant's phone number and email address and he handed her the credit card. "Keep it safe. It is now yours to take care of." She carefully put the credit card in her wallet.

They continued working till late evening until it was time for dinner. This time, Jesper took her to the dining room. It was a sumptuous spread put together by Marguerite, the housekeeper. Both Jesper and Cristina sat down at one of the place settings. Cristina noticed that Jesper had not started eating. "Are we waiting for Mr. Hunt?" she asked. Before Jesper could answer, Owen came into the dining room. "Thank you for waiting for me. Sorry about that. I was caught up in a call with my agent. He wants me to endorse a new line of shoes from Puma."

He took the seat at the head of the table. "Let's dig in, folks," he said, with a grin. Cristina was grateful. She was famished. It was quiet for a while, as they all ate in silence. It seemed everyone was hungry. Cristina hoped she didn't look like she was shoveling food down but she had a huge appetite for a very small person. Owen looked at her in astonishment, as she quickly cleared her plate.

"Hungry, are we?" he asked. "You do put away a lot of food in that tiny body." She felt a little embarrassed by his question.

"Yes," she squeaked.

"Okay, why don't you have some more? Marguerite is always happy when someone appreciates her food," Owen said.

"I really do appreciate it. It is fantastic," she said, as she gave herself another helping. Owen was really surprised at how much she could eat. It was clear that this tiny person could possibly out-eat both him and Jesper.

"I will let Marguerite know how much you enjoyed it," he said. "She always likes someone with a healthy appetite." He turned to Jesper. "So you are leaving early Friday morning, Jesper?"

Jesper answered, "Yes, sir. I need to get to JFK early. My flight is at 6 a.m and I have to get there a couple of hours earlier."

"Okay, I arranged for the car service to take you there," Owen said. "You won't miss your flight to Stockholm. Soon enough, you will be in Pia's arms."

"Thanks, Mr. Hunt," Jesper said.

"Jesper, I think it is time you stop calling me Mr. Hunt. Time to start calling me Owen," Owen said. "You will no longer be my assistant by Thursday."

"Okay, Owen," Jesper said, giving his boss a smile. It was the first time he ever called him by his first name.

"By the way, Thursday night, let us all go out for dinner," Owen said. "My treat. I am sure Cristina would really enjoy going out to dinner since she loves food so much. She will probably out-eat us both, Jesper."

Cristina stopped eating and put down the fork. She felt that was a wisecrack on how much she ate. A lot of people often made fun of how much she could eat. She never took kindly to that and it always bothered her when people pointed it out. She was sensitive about it.

She stood up and picked up her plate to carry it to the kitchen. "Excuse me," she said. "I think I will retire, now." She left the dining room, leaving the two men dumbfounded.

"What just happened there?" Owen asked. Jesper shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. Women baffled him, too.

After emptying the remains of her plate into the garbage bin, she went straight to her room, took a shower, brushed her teeth and changed into her pajamas. All through it, she thought about what he had said to her and the tears stung her eyes. She knew that she needed this job but she made up her mind that while she was going to do the best job she possibly could, that didn't mean that she needed to socialize with him.

* * *

Over the next two days, she avoided him for the most part, taking all of her instructions from Jesper. She knew there was a time she had to deal with him, directly, but for now, Jesper was a welcome buffer. She never ate with Mr. Hunt again, preferring to have her meal before or after he ate. On Thursday night, when they planned to go out for the farewell dinner for Jesper, she feigned illness and apologized to Jesper that she had an intense migraine.

When Owen found only Jesper waiting for him in the foyer, he asked about Cristina. "Where is Cristina?" he asked. "I haven't seen her much over the past two days."

Jesper said, "She is feeling ill. She said she was going to go to bed. She sent her apologies."

"Oh, I hope she isn't coming down with anything," Owen said. "We are going to be traveling soon and it is terrible to travel when you're sick. Well, I guess we better go. I will check up on her when we come back."

It was a very pleasant dinner, where the two men reminisced about their time they had spent together, traveling the world. It had been a good couple of years. At the end of the dinner, Owen handed Jesper an envelope. Jesper opened the envelope and pulled out a check. His eyes widened as he saw the figure on the check.

"This is too generous, sir," Jesper protested. Owen waved his hand. "No, no, Jesper, you are worth every penny. You and your bride will need that bonus, as you start on your new life."

"Thank you, sir," Jesper said, as he put the envelope away in his jacket pocket.

"Jesper, I have a question to ask. It is about Cristina. I have been getting the feeling for the past two days that she doesn't like me," Owen said. "I am not sure what I did to offend the young lady but I think she has been avoiding me."

"I am sure that is not the case," Jesper said. "I have told her that you are a kind and generous boss. You are probably imagining things."

"Hmm," Owen said, still uncertain. "And she hasn't said anything about me?" Jesper answered in the negative. "Well, okay," Owen continued. "I guess I will just have a talk to her about it, tomorrow."

When they returned to the estate, Owen went up to Cristina's room and knocked. "Cristina," he said. "It's me, Mr. Hunt. I heard you are not feeling well. Are you okay? Is there anything I can do for you?" He stood there for two minutes, waiting for a response but none was forthcoming. Cristina heard him but didn't want to answer. She stayed quiet until she heard his footsteps, walking away from her door.

* * *

The next morning, in the wee hours, the car service came for Jesper to take him to the airport. Owen had got up to bid his former personal assistant goodbye. The two men hugged and slapped each other on their backs. From the corner of his eye, Owen could see the small figure at the doorway.

"Cristina," Jesper called out. "You've come to say goodbye to me."

"Yes," she said, approaching the two men. She went straight to Jesper and gave him a hug. "Thank you for everything this week. You have been wonderful in training me." Jesper hugged her back. "It has been great training you. I am sure you will be a terrific personal assistant to Mr. Hunt. Take care of yourself, Cristina."

Owen looked at the two of them, hugging. This was the most he had seen of the young woman over the last few days. Jesper got into the car and before the car turned out of the compound, he turned back and waved. Cristina and Owen waved back at him. Owen saw Cristina wipe a tear away from her face.

"It's okay, Cristina, we're going to see him in a couple of weeks at his wedding," Owen said. He wanted to put his arm around her to comfort her but he thought better of it.

"I know," she said, politely. "I will just miss having him around. That's all. Good night, Mr. Hunt." She turned and went back into the house. Owen stood there, staring at her small retreating figure. He was still puzzled at what was going on between the two of them.

* * *

Later that morning, Owen came down for breakfast to find Cristina already at the kitchen table, having her breakfast. He smiled broadly at her. It was the first time in several days that they would share a meal together. "Good morning," he said, happily.

"Good morning," she replied, as she quickly drained her cup of tea. As he sat down, she stood up and carried her wares and utensils to the sink. He was dismayed that she was leaving.

"Cristina, stay," he said. "Stay with me while I have breakfast. I want to discuss some things I need to have done, today." She realized she had no choice but to stay. She had planned on escaping to the office. She sat down at the table and pulled out a small notebook and a pen from her back pocket.

"Jesper left a list of things that need to be done," she said. "I will just add whatever you want. Is this a top priority?"

"As long as it is done during the course of the day, that's fine," he said. He started giving her a list of the things that he needed to be done. She made copious notes in her notebook. Jesper had taught her always to have her notebook ready, in case Mr. Hunt needed anything.

"I guess that is it," Owen said. She closed her notebook and put it back in her pocket. "Well, I will be in the office, working on this list," she said. "If you need me, you can find me there."

"Well, you can report back to me, during lunch. Is that okay with you?" he said. "I will see you around noon." She cringed, inwardly as she knew he wanted her to spend the lunch hour with him.

"Certainly, sir," she answered, as she left. He wanted to talk to her about what was going on. He wanted her to be happy, working for him, and as far as he could tell, she was not. He needed to ask her what he had done wrong. He made up his mind that would be the topic of discussion, when they spoke again at lunchtime.

* * *

**A/N: Please leave your comments. Thanks again for your reviews. I do appreciate when you take the time to do so.**


	5. Chapter 5 Clearing the air

Cristina came down at 11.30 a.m. to have an early lunch. Marguerite was surprised to see her there, so early.

"You must be really hungry, Cristina," Marguerite said. "You are here so early."

"Yes, I am," she lied. She came down early to avoid having lunch with Mr. Hunt. She just wanted to have her lunch first and then, she would be able to report to him on all of the things that he requested. After that, she would be back in the office and not have to spend the entire lunch hour with him.

Marguerite took out a plate with healthy helpings of vegetable rice, asparagus spears and herb-crusted tilapia with tomato salsa. She was already aware of how much food the young woman ate. "This looks yummy," Cristina said, appreciatively.

"There is always more if you want," Marguerite said. She could appreciate a woman with a healthy appetite. She didn't know where all of Cristina's food went because the girl was so slim.

Cristina closed her eyes when she had her first taste of the tilapia. "Delicious, Marguerite," she told the housekeeper.

"Thank you," Marguerite said, with a laugh.

By the time it was 12 noon, Owen came just in time to see Cristina put her last piece of tilapia in her mouth.

"You've eaten, already?" he said in disbelief. She nodded. He had prepared himself to have lunch and maybe, a pleasant conversation with her. It was like she wanted to spend the least possible time with him.

"Yes," she said, as she picked up her plate and put it in the sink. Marguerite smiled at her boss and placed a plate in front of him, as he sat down.

"Thank you, Marguerite," he said. Cristina came and sat down at the table. She whipped out her notebook and waited for him to say something. She was all business, he thought.

"I see you are ready," he said. "You can start." She went through all of the items that he had assigned to her, for the day. All of them had been completed. He had to admit she was very efficient.

"So are you ready for our trip to Paris next week for that tennis tournament?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," Cristina said. "I will have you packed and ready."

"So you're looking forward to going to Paris?" he asked. He could see her efficient façade break, when he asked her that question. She was like every young girl, excited to go to Paris.

"Yes, I can actually use my French to speak to native French speakers," she said. "Most times, I have only spoken French with my dad."

"I am glad that you are happy about this," he said. "This brings me to something else I wish to discuss with you. Cristina, you and I will be spending a lot of time, together. So it makes a great deal of sense to me that we get along," he said. "I have been getting the impression that you don't want to spend too much time with me and that is not going to work. You don't even want to share meals with me. Don't you like me?"

"I like you well enough, sir," she answered. That was not the kind of answer he was expecting. He thought he was a likeable guy. There was a reason that he was so popular on the circuit. Why didn't she like him?

"Well enough? What does that mean?" he said. "I like you and it is without some sort of qualifier attached to it." She shrugged her shoulders. That got him a little bit incensed.

"Cristina, I will not abide that sort of attitude. Do not shrug your shoulders at me. We cannot continue to work together if you do not like me. This is a close working relationship and we are going to spend many hours, together on a daily basis. Tell me now if I have to end this relationship and get another personal assistant," he said.

She was horrified at the prospect of losing this great job. "I am sorry, sir but I can't afford to lose this job," she said, quietly.

"Well, okay, then. Tell me what is wrong and let us see if we can fix it. I like you, Cristina. I really do like you and I want this to work out for the both of us. But it can't work unless you voice what is wrong," he said.

She took a gulp before she spoke. She hoped that she was not going to offend him. "Yes, it is true that I have been avoiding you and I used Jesper to be the barrier between you and me. But I guess I can't use him, anymore, since he is gone." She took a deep breath before she continued. "The truth is the other night, you made a comment that bothered me, greatly."

"I did?" he said, surprised. "Why didn't you say something? I am very sorry for whatever I said. Please tell me what it was and I will know to never to mention it, again." He sounded remorseful.

"You will think it is stupid," she replied.

"No, of course not," he said. "If it bothers you, then it is not stupid. Tell me."

"Remember the other night, when we were having dinner and you made some remarks about how much I ate. You said that I could probably out-eat both you and Jesper since I love food so much. That hurt me," she said. "People are always making fun of how much I eat and making it seem like a bad thing. I have endured a lot of taunts over it. When I heard you say it, it sounded like another wisecrack. It just upset me."

"Oh, Cristina, you should have said something," he said, sympathetically. "Wait a minute. Is that the reason why you didn't go to dinner with Jesper and me?" She nodded. "So you made up that story about being sick?" She nodded, again. "Well, you missed an amazing lobster dinner, let me tell you."

"Oh, really. I love lobster," she said, ruefully.

"Well, the next time I say anything that you find offensive, please tell me, immediately. And if you do or say something that bothers me, then I am going to tell you. That is the only way we are going to have an effective working relationship," he said. "Is that okay with you?"

"Yes," she said. "That is fine. I will know to speak up."

"This is a totally different dynamic for me, dealing with a female personal assistant. With a male assistant, I guess I got away with saying and doing things without much thought," he said. "I will try and do better."

"Thank you, sir," she said. "I guess I will go back to the office and let you finish up your lunch."

"Okay," he said. "But this evening, we are having dinner together in the dining room. Agreed?"

"Agreed," she replied. She got up, picked up her notebook and walked to the office, feeling a lot better.

* * *

The next week found them in Paris at his next tennis tournament. It was very exciting for Cristina. She had never been to Paris, before and she could not even contain her exhilaration. For a jaded traveler like Owen, it was wonderful to see. On the way to their hotel, her face was glued to the window, looking at all of the monuments that she had only seen in books. "The Eiffel Tower!" she screamed, happily. He was amused because she seemed like a little kid. He stared out at the tower that he had seen many, many times and for the first time in many years, he actually admired its beauty. He loved seeing it through her eyes.

At the hotel, she became the ever-efficient personal assistant again, as she checked them into their rooms and got the bellhop to carry their luggage to their rooms. It was a long trip from New York and they were both tired. They agreed to meet for dinner in the main restaurant at the hotel, later. In the meantime, they headed to their rooms to take a nap.

* * *

Later that evening, he waited for her in the restaurant. He checked his watch. He hoped that he was not being stood up by his personal assistant. He was going to call her, when he saw her walk in to the restaurant. She had dressed up for the occasion and was wearing a sleek, little black dress with nude heels. Her hair was up in a sleek bun, which showed off the curve of her neck and the flawless skin on her face and shoulders. "Wow," he whispered to himself. He had promised Jesper that he was going to be a perfect gentleman, when it came to Cristina. He was finding it hard to keep that promise but he was going to do his best.

She came to his table with a smile. He stood up, as the waiter pulled out her chair for her so she could sit. "Hey, Mr. Hunt, this place is ridiculously fancy," she said. In flawless French, she ordered a white wine for herself and a scotch for him.

"I don't know what you said but it sounded really nice," he said, as the waiter disappeared to get their order.

"I am just happy I could get to use it," she said. "Let's look at the menu. You tell me what looks interesting to you and I will order it for you." He stared at the menu. It was all in French and he didn't have a clue what anything was.

"Order me some kind of fish," he said, in exasperation.

"Okay, I will order you the salmon," she said. He nodded. That was fine with him, he wasn't fussy. She decided she was going to get the steak for herself. She had long overcome her insecurities of him seeing her eat. It was now a joke between the two of them that she could out-eat him on any given day. When the waiter came back with their drinks, she ordered for the two of them.

It was turning out to be an extremely pleasant dinner. He had almost finished his salmon and looked up to notice that Cristina had a shy smile on her face. He knew that she wasn't smiling at him because he had not been looking at her, since he was pre-occupied with his meal. She was smiling at someone behind him. He took a quick glance and was shocked to see whom it was. Pablo Quinteras, looking handsome and debonair in a dark suit, was waving at her. His biggest rival on the courts was waving and smiling at her. The audacity of the young man, Owen thought. He looked back at Cristina, who still had that foolish smile on her face. Did she not know who that was?

"Cristina!" he said, loudly. His tone caught her attention and she looked at him. "Stop smiling at him. Don't you know who that is?" She knew he looked familiar, then she remembered. He was Pablo Quinteras, the one who lost to Owen in the US Open.

"Um, Pablo Quinteras," she offered. "Yes!" Owen said. "He and I are very bitter competitors. You cannot be smiling at my greatest rival."

"Oh. But he started it. He was smiling and then he waved. I was being polite, so I smiled back," Cristina said, a little apologetically. The waiter came by and picked up their plates. He rested a large slice of raspberry charlotte on the table with a note attached to it.

"I didn't order any dessert," she told the waiter. "It must be for another table."

"Oh, this is from the young man at the back table. He also wanted to send you this note," the waiter said, as he left. It took everything in Owen not to grab the card that came with the dessert. He watched, closely as she opened the card. She read it silently but he was dying to find out what that Pablo had said to her in the note.

"What does it say?" Owen asked. She handed the note to him. It read: "Hi, my name is Pablo Quinteras. I heard that you are now Hunt's personal assistant, since Jesper left. You are certainly a vast improvement to Jesper in the looks department. Welcome to the circuit. I definitely hope I see more of you, Pablo." Owen threw the card down at the table in disgust. The nerve of that guy trying to hit on his personal assistant, Owen thought.

Cristina stared at the raspberry charlotte; it was luscious looking and she wanted to try it but she was mindful of how Mr. Hunt would feel, if she ate it, since it came from Pablo. She looked at him with enquiring eyes.

"No, you are not going to eat that. We will order something else," he said, which they promptly did. When they left, he made sure that Pablo saw that the dessert he had sent over had not been eaten by its intended recipient. Pablo laughed because he knew that this was not over.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your comments. Thanks for taking the time to leave your reviews.**


	6. Chapter 6 Stockholm

It was a semi-successful tournament for Owen. He did make it to the finals but he lost to Swiss player Matthias Tschopp in a hard-fought match. He was in a rotten mood about it but his only consolation was that Quinteras lost in the semi-finals against Tschopp. It was a good tournament for Tschopp since he had beaten both Quinteras and Hunt in successive matches.

Jesper had warned Cristina about Owen's foul mood after a loss. She was told not to offer any advice but just remain quiet. If Mr. Hunt wanted to talk, she was just supposed to nod and listen.

They were headed back to the hotel and due to fly out in a couple of hours, later. She had already packed up his clothes and had laid out his traveling clothes on his bed.

When they got on the flight back to New York, Cristina was grateful that they were in two separate areas of the plan, since Mr. Hunt was in First Class, probably sulking and drinking the free booze. She didn't mind being in Coach; she could take a nap without having to worry about his sullen silence.

When they got to JFK, the car service was waiting for them to take them directly to the Hamptons estate. It was nice to come home, Cristina thought, as they pulled up in front of the house. Home. That was odd that she actually thought of the estate as home, now. Her real home was her parents' house in New Hampshire but she hadn't been there since June. Now it was nearing the end of September and she now had a new home.

As they entered the house, Marguerite was there to greet him. "Was it a good trip?" Marguerite asked but she stopped herself from venturing any further when she saw the warning look from Cristina. Marguerite knew that look. It meant that Mr. Hunt had lost the tournament. She knew when to shut up.

"Fine," Owen said, with a flat tone to his voice. "Marguerite, do you have anything prepared? I am rather famished and I did not particularly like the meal they served on the plane." It was probably a whole lot better than what I got, Cristina thought. These people who traveled in first class didn't have a clue what the folks in Coach had to endure, especially with the cramped legroom. At least, she hadn't been trapped in a middle seat.

"Yes, sir," Marguerite said. Both Cristina and Owen went up to their respective rooms to deposit their luggage before heading down to the kitchen. Marguerite had already laid out the their plates. From that first spoonful of comforting mashed potatoes, Owen felt a lot better. By the time, he finished the meal, he felt like his old self, again. Sure, he was still mad at himself for losing the match but he just had made too many mistakes. He just had a bad day in what was otherwise, a very good year. After all, he was this year's Wimbledon and US Open champion and he won quite a few of the ATP tournaments, so it had been an excellent year.

"Cristina," he said. "We have that meeting with my agent and the people from Puma, tomorrow. I think they said they were coming for around 10.30."

"Yes," Cristina said. "I am aware of that. Would you like to have the meeting in the office?"

"Yes, that would be fine," he said. "You and Marguerite can work out the menu for lunch."

"Yes," she said. "I already have some ideas for that. Will that be all?"

"Yes, I think I am going to take a nap. That was a long plane ride, as well as the long drive from the airport," Owen said. He got up and headed to his bedroom. As he left, Cristina and Marguerite both got to work in planning the menu.

The next day, Cristina took notes while Owen, the agents and people from the shoe line discussed the possibility of him endorsing the shoes. Cristina's mind was blown when the shoe people offered a couple of million dollars for a three-year deal. She had never heard about so much money in her entire life. No wonder he could afford to have a house like this, she thought. If it was her, she would have jumped on that money like a fat kid on a bag of potato chips. But it seemed neither Owen nor his agent was satisfied and the shoe people actually had to up the proposed amount. A tentative figure was finally reached and the shoe people said their lawyers would send a contract. When it seemed that the meeting was winding down, she announced that Marguerite had prepared lunch for them. They all followed her into the dining room, where a lovely spread had been prepared by Marguerite. The meal went extremely well, as everyone complimented Marguerite on her fine cooking. When everyone left, Owen turned to Cristina and told her that she did a fine job in organizing the meeting and planning the meal. She blushed at his compliment and said she was only doing her job.

"Keep this up and you might just get a nice little surprise in your paycheck at Christmas," he said.

"Thank you, Mr. Hunt," she said. She could only imagine that it would be some extra cash. That would be just awesome, she thought, as she would have extra money to buy everyone really nice presents.

The next few days were quiet. They were planning to fly to Stockholm early Friday morning to attend Jesper's wedding over the weekend. She had called Jesper to let him know when they were going to arrive. Knowing Jesper, she knew he would want to meet them at the airport and take them to their hotel.

So when they came out of the terminal and saw him there, she was not surprised. "Jesper," Owen yelled, as the two men hugged. "Owen, it is good to see you," Jesper said. Calling his former boss by his first name did not come easy to Jesper. It just felt weird, Jesper thought.

"Cristina," Jesper said, giving the young woman a kiss on the cheek. "So good to see you. Has he been treating you well?"

"What do you mean?" Owen said. "I have been the perfect gentleman." Jesper smiled as he said, "Glad to hear that, sir." He drove them to the Grand Hotel, where their rooms were booked. "I will see you later, Owen, at my bachelor party." Cristina and Owen retired to their rooms. Later that evening, Owen knocked on Cristinas's door. She was already dressed in her pjs because she was going to make it an early night.

"Hey, I am just going to Jesper's bachelor party. Will you be okay here?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure," she said, with a nod. "Go have fun. I will see you tomorrow. Good evening." With a nod, he left and headed to the club where Jesper was having his bachelor party.

Cristina crawled back into her bed to read a book and before she could even settle down, her phone rang. She didn't recognize the number at all.

"Hello," she said, tentatively.

"Hello, Cristina," a deep male voice said on the other end. "Can you guess who this is?" Cristina had never heard the voice before in her life, but it was clear it was a non-native English speaking person because he had an accent.

"Uh, no," she said. "Can I help you? Is this to do with Mr. Hunt?" The phone was not her personal one, but the one she used to conduct business for her boss. It had been passed on to her by Jesper.

"No," the person said. "Let me tell you who it is. This is Pablo Quinteras."

"Oh," Cristina said in a surprised tone. "How did you get this number?"

"Well, I figured you would have been using Jesper's old phone, since everyone knows that number, so I decided to give it a shot and give you a call," Pablo said.

"Oh, okay," she replied. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yes, I just wanted to talk to you. I didn't see you much during the tournament and I was disappointed," he said. "I thought we could get to know each other better."

"Oh, I guess that is because both you and Mr. Hunt were on opposite ends of the draw," she said. "Sorry about the results." She was well aware that he had lost in the semi-finals to Matthias Tschopp, the same guy, who eventually beat Mr. Hunt in the finals.

"Well, that is the life of a professional tennis player, we win some and you lose some. I won the Australian Open and the French Open this year, so that was good for me," he said.

"I guess. So when is your next tournament?" she asked, politely. "Maybe you will do better in that one."

"Probably in China," he said. "Are you going to be there?" She thought for a minute whether to tell him or not but decided it wasn't a secret that Mr. Hunt was participating. "Yes," she answered. There were two tournaments in China that Mr. Hunt would be playing in – one in Beijing and the other in Shanghai.

"Well, good, I guess I will see you then," he said. "Goodbye, Cristina."

"Goodbye, Mr. Quinteras," she said. "Pablo," he said. "Call me Pablo." She responded, "Okay. Good bye, Pablo." As they hung up, she decided it was odd that he called her. She wondered what was his motivation.

She did a quick Google search on him. He was 22, from Barcelona, Spain and he had won a number of tournaments in a short space of time, leading him to a meteoric rise to the top of the rankings. She stared at his picture. With his dark hair and his tanned good looks, he was exactly the kind of guy she would have gone for. Somehow, though, there was a cockiness about him that was a little bit of a turn-off. She closed her laptop and picked up her book to read.

At the bachelor party, Owen found himself, surrounded by Jesper's rowdy friends and strippers. Owen turned to Jesper, "I never thought that you were the strip club type, Jesper."

"I am not," Jesper said. "My best man thought that this would be fun but I think he did it more for himself, than me." A very busty brunette came up to them and offered Owen a lapdance. Owen begged off, saying that Jesper was the groom. She went to Jesper, who didn't even get a chance to refuse. Owen wanted to laugh at him because Jesper had the strangest look on his face, as the stripper gyrated on top of him. He wondered what Cristina was doing. He went to the men's restroom and decided to give her a call.

"Hey," he said, when she answered.

"Hi, Mr. Hunt. How is the bachelor party going?" she asked.

"A little rowdy," he said. "So is everything alright at the hotel?"

"Yeah, sure," she answered. She didn't know why he would think that it would be otherwise. She decided to tell him the only interesting thing that happened while he was gone. "Um, I got a strange call from Pablo Quinteras, though."

"What?" Owen said, his voice raising. "What did he want?"

"Nothing much. He just wanted to talk to me and wondered when next he was going to see us again," she said, noting the change in Owen's tone and voice.

"What did you tell him?" he asked.

"I told him that we were going to be in China for those tournaments since it really isn't a secret. It is already in out in their press releases. Did I do wrong?" she asked. "If I did, I apologize."

"No, no," Owen said, tempering his voice. "Just let me know, whenever he calls you again."

"Okay," she said. "Anyway, have a good time, sir."

"Yeah, thanks, Cristina. Bye," he said, before he hung up. What the heck was wrong with Quinteras? He wondered whether Quinteras was doing it because he was interested in Cristina or because he just wanted to goad him, as his main rival. He knew that Quinteras was not above psychological tricks. He used the bathroom, washed his hands and stared at himself in the mirror. He knew he had to keep an eye on Quinteras, since he was clearly sniffing around Cristina. He went back to join the party but his mind really wasn't there. He had no interest in any of the females there, even though many of them tried to get his attention. Jesper noticed his former boss' distraction but he knew not to pry.

Owen knew he had to do something about Quinteras, before this whole situation got out of hand.

**A/N Please leave your comments. Thanks for your reviews.**


	7. Chapter 7 The Wedding

He had just got dressed into his suit for the wedding. He had decided on a charcoal gray suit. He looked good in gray. It highlighted his blue eyes, according to the tailor in the suit shop. He looked at himself in the mirror. He looked quite smart, he thought.

The phone rang in his room and he answered it with a crisp hello. "Hello, Mr. Hunt," he heard her say.

"Hi, Cristina, are you ready?" he asked. "Yes, I am," she replied. "I just wanted to let you know that the car service is here to take us to the hall."

"Okay, good," he said. "I guess I will meet you downstairs in the lobby." He then hung up the phone, took a final look in the mirror, before leaving the room. When he got down to the lobby, he spotted her, immediately, even though her usual curls were up in a loose chignon. She was turned away from him so he called out her name. She turned around and she took his breath away. She looked so beautiful. He was going to be proud to have her on his arm, when they went to the wedding.

He came up to her and had to pay her a compliment. "You look beautiful and we match, too." They did match as she was wearing a soft, flowing dove gray dress. "Thank you, sir. You clean up really nicely, too. As for both of us wearing gray, great minds think alike," she said with a smile.

"Thank you, Cristina. I totally agree that we are in sync. Shall we?" he said, as he offered her his arm to take. She slipped her hand into the crook of his arm and headed out of the hotel. The ride to the wedding hall was a short drive away. Jesper and Pia were having their wedding and reception in the same building. In one room, the ceremony was going to take place, while the reception was to be held in a different room.

When they got to the wedding, they were ushered near the front behind where Jesper's family was seated. "It seems we have a very good view of the proceedings." The room was beautifully decorated, a reflection of Jesper's impeccable taste. It was going to be a civil wedding, since and Jesper were not particularly religious. The officiant had taken his place and the music started. Jesper and Pia entered wand walked down the aisle together. It was the first time that Cristina had ever seen Pia. She was a lovely girl with soft, blonde hair and bright, blue eyes. Cristina thought Jesper looked the happiest she had ever seen him.

"She looks lovely," Cristina whispered to Owen. He nodded and smiled. Jesper was beaming with pride and Owen was very happy for him. As the ceremony progressed, Owen studied Cristina's face, as she took in everything. Her face was rather animated as she seemed genuinely interested in what was going on. Neither of them understood what was said, since they could not understand Swedish but they gathered the general gist of it. After the exchange of the rings and the announcement that Jesper and Pia were now husband and wife, everyone in the gathering clapped wildly.

After the ceremony, the guests were ushered into the reception hall. It was a big buffet service for the reception. Everyone was shown to their tables by ushers. Owen noticed that they were taking Cristina to a different table from the table where he was assigned. He saw his name on the setting and looked on both sides of his place setting and didn't recognize either name. Why did Jesper separate him from Cristina? Now he was going to have to make small chat with strangers, something he did not relish at all. As he took his seat, he noticed where Cristina was sitting. She was the only dark-haired person at her table, so it was easy to spot her. He wondered if she was going to suffer as much as he was.

When all of the speeches were done, it was time for the guests to dine. Owen caught Jesper's attention and asked why he had placed Cristina at a different table.

"I thought she would enjoy being with the young people," Jesper replied. What the heck did Jesper mean by that? Owen knew he wasn't old. He was 26. Did Jesper just imply that he was too old to be hanging around with Cristina?

"What do you mean the young people?" Owen asked, a bit offended. Jesper could read his former boss, very well and knew he was a little upset.

"No offense, sir but I placed her with guests who are around 18 to 22 years old. Some of them are in University, some just graduated. They are at the same stage of life that she is in and I thought she would enjoy their company. Besides, they all speak English, so I am sure they are going to take care of her."

Owen scoffed. Jesper smiled at Owen's chagrin.

Owen caught up with Cristina at the buffet line. "How are you enjoying the folks at your table?" he asked. "Oh, it is fine, sir," she said. "They are an awesome bunch. They asked me to go out with them but I told them that we would be leaving in the morning. Pity it would have been nice to see something of the Swedish nightlife."

For a moment there, Owen was glad that they were leaving in the morning, so she couldn't go out with the "young people." He scoffed, again, thinking about how Jesper had classified him as being "not young."

"What was that, Mr. Hunt?" she asked. "Nothing," he replied. "Just thinking about something." They then returned to their separate tables. He might as well just chat with his tablemates, he thought. On his left was a blonde named Astrid, who said she was Pia's cousin. On his right was Ingmar, who was Jesper's brother. Apparently, it seemed he had been placed among Jesper's relatives. He realized he should be flattered since Jesper considered him like family to have him placed with his and Pia's relatives. Still, he would have preferred to have sat with Cristina. He glanced over at her; she was sitting between two young men and they were laughing, raucously. He noticed that one of the guys had her hand in his. "Hmmm," he thought.

Well, if she could have a good time, then so could he. He took a gulp of the Swedish vodka and then had another. As he and Astrid downed drinks together, they were both laughing a little too hard and talking a little too loud. Astrid was starting to look better and better with each successive drink. By the time, they had finished the second bottle, he invited her back to his hotel. She readily agreed and the two of them disappeared.

Cristina only noticed that she had been left behind when she was looking for her boss to go back to the hotel. She had seen him with the blonde woman, earlier and she wondered if he had taken off with her. Jesper noticed her, searching for Owen.

"Hey, I think he has left with Astrid," he said. "Oh," Cristina said. How was she going to get back to the hotel?

"Don't worry about getting back to the hotel," Jesper said, as if he was reading her thoughts. "I can get Axel to take you back." He called out to the young man with the light brown hair. "Axel, can you take Cristina back to the Grand Hotel?"

"Certainly," Axel said, with a twinkle in his eye. "Are you ready?" She nodded and the two were on their way. Jesper realized the young lady would have a task in the morning, trying to get Astrid to leave Mr. Hunt's room. He just hoped that she could handle it.

Having been safely delivered back to the hotel, Cristina went to the front desk and asked whether Mr. Hunt was back. The clerk at the front desk answered in the affirmative and mentioned that he had arrived with a young woman. At least, he was back, she thought, as she headed to her room. She was dreading having to deal with Astrid in the morning.

* * *

Owen heard the knocking but he wasn't sure if someone was at his door or if it was just the pounding in his head. The light streaming from the window was hurting his eyes. He looked across at the blonde woman next to him in bed. He groaned. He had done it, again.

He got up, dragged on his pj bottoms and opened the door. It was Cristina. In that instant, he felt a combination of shame and embarrassment. He had never felt that way before, when it was Jesper, who came to handle the aftermath.

"Good morning, sir," Cristina said. "We will be leaving in a couple of hours, so I need to get you packed."

"Oh, yes," he said. "Um…um." He knew she had her job to do but he was wary of letting her into the room, since Astrid was there. She knew, immediately, that he was hesitating because of the woman in the room.

"It's okay, Mr. Hunt. Jesper briefed me about situations like this. I will deal with it. So, maybe, you can freshen yourself up, brush your teeth, take a shower, go have some breakfast in the restaurant. I will see about getting the young lady at home," she said. He reluctantly let her in and went into the bathroom.

Cristina went and stood next to the woman's side of the bed and gently shook her awake. Astrid opened her eyes and jumped when she saw Cristina.

"Good morning," Cristina said, in what she hoped was a cheery voice. "Your name is Astrid, right?" The woman nodded.

"Well, I am here to help you get on your way home," she said.

"Where's um…?" Astrid fumbled for Owen's name. The hangover was making it difficult to think.

"Mr. Hunt? He is in the bathroom, right now. We are leaving the hotel in a little bit and I just wanted to make sure you got home, safely. So why don't we get dressed?" Cristina said. Astrid threw off the covers and slowly got dressed.

When she was fully dressed, Astrid took a look at herself in the mirror. "Oh dear, look at my hair," she said. Cristina reached in her pocket and offered the woman a brush. Astrid brushed her hair out and felt she looked presentable enough.

"Are we ready?" she said. Astrid nodded. "Tell him goodbye." Cristina responded, "Certainly." As she took the young woman down to the lobby and got her a taxi, Cristina could not help feel sorry for her. Still, she had to know that it was going to be one night stand and it wasn't as if he was ever going to keep in touch with her. After watching the taxi drive away, Cristina returned to Owen's room. She knocked on the door. He was already dressed.

"Why don't you go down to breakfast?" she said. "I will just pack up here and then, I will join you." Owen was still feeling ashamed, so he just nodded and left.

She quickly packed up his clothes, shoes and toiletries back into his suitcase. She scanned the room to make sure that nothing had been forgotten. She headed down to the restaurant where Mr. Hunt was having crepes and eggs with coffee. She also got herself a breakfast plate before joining him. He looked at her neatly cutting up her sausages and eggs. He didn't know what quite to say.

"I am sorry for leaving you at the wedding," he said. "I guess I was a little wasted from drinking too much Swedish vodka."

"That's okay," Cristina said. "Axel gave me a ride back to the hotel. So I got back fine."

"Axel?" Owen asked. "Yeah, he was one of the guys at my table. He gave me his email address so we could keep in touch," Cristina replied.

"Oh," Owen said. He realized he didn't have any right to say anything about Axel, even though he really didn't want her keeping in touch with him. "Um..about this morning," he said. "I am sorry you had to do that."

"It is fine, Mr. Hunt," she replied, with a smile. "I am perfectly capable of handling that. I was just doing my job."

"Okay," he said. She may have handled that situation, this morning but he had already made up his mind that it was not going to happen, again. She was not going to have to deal with any of his one-night stands, ever again. It was too embarrassing and very shameful. He hated feeling like that and he hated having her deal with it.

He wanted her to think better of him. It was important that she did. In that moment, he decided he was going to change. He realized he wanted her to care.

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**A/N Please leave your comments and reviews. Appreciate when you do take the time to leave your thoughts.**


	8. Chapter 8 Pablo

They were in China for his last two tournaments before the World Finals in England. After that were the holidays.

She was very excited to be in China. Their first tournament was Beijing, followed by the second one in Shanghai. One year ago, she would have never imagined that she would be traveling the world. Though it was only their second tournament together, she had already got the hang of how she was to prepare his bags for him to carry to the tournament, every morning. She arranged for a vehicle to take them to the stadium and back to the hotel. She knew that Mr. Hunt always expected to make the finals and was very focused on doing so. Thus, they spoke very little, when he had his game face on. She knew not to disturb him.

She was at one of his early round matches and had found a good book to read. She always waved at him at the start of every match, so he would know where she was in the stands. She cracked open her book, as he and his opponent started warming up on the court.

"Hey," she heard a deep, accented voice say. She knew that voice. There was no mistaking that voice. It was Pablo Quinteras.

"Is this seat free?" he asked, pointing to the seat next to her. She nodded and removed her bag from it and placed it on her other side. He took the seat and stretched out, since he was a tall guy.

"So how have you been?" he asked. "Fine," she answered. Now that she got a closer look at him, she realized how good-looking he was. He had the dark hair that she liked plus really dark, liquid brown eyes that were rimmed with long lashes.

He noticed her book. "So you don't like tennis?" he asked. "You're going to read a book during Hunt's match."

"It's okay," she said. "But it is not my favorite sport. I like figure skating the best. I used to compete at that, when I was younger."

"Ah, figure skating. I can see you as a figure skater in all those pretty costumes, gliding all over the ice," he said. "That is lovely. But you know tennis is my game and also your boss' game. You should like tennis. It is what pays you." She put the book down and put it away in her bag.

"Now you are making me feel very guilty," she said. "I guess I should watch him play. So how come you aren't somewhere playing a match?"

"I do have a match," he said. "This evening. I am in the opposite end of the draw from Hunt. We won't meet until the later stages. Would you come see me play?" She blinked. She wasn't too crazy about tennis and he was asking her to come see more tennis. She wanted to be polite but she really didn't want to see more tennis matches than she needed to attend for the day.

"I am not sure if I can make that," she said. "You know I am working and I will have to see about Mr. Hunt." She hoped that would appease him.

"Ah, I am so sorry to hear that," he said. "But, you still have some free time to yourself. You can't be running after him and taking care of his needs, all day. Surely, you must eat." Cristina gave him a quizzical look. "Well, he does pay me to take care of all the details, so he won't have to worry about them. And yes, I do have free time and I do eat."

"Good," Pablo said. "Then, maybe, we could have dinner, together, after my match. What hotel are you staying?" She told him, hoping that he was not staying there.

"I am also there, so that makes it easier," he said. Inwardly, Cristina groaned. If she was being honest with herself, she didn't mind having dinner with him but not at the restaurant at the hotel. Mr. Hunt would see her with Pablo and he would get very mad. She decided to tell him the truth.

"I am not sure if that is a good idea," she said, honestly. "Mr. Hunt doesn't like you very much and as his employee, I don't think he would take too kindly with me having dinner with you."

"So you are going to let Hunt decide everything for you. He is your boss, not your boyfriend," Pablo countered. "He can't tell you whom you can or cannot see." Cristina sighed. Pablo was very persistent and it's not that she didn't like him, she did and he was exactly the type of guy she usually dated.

"Okay, I will think about it," she said. "So can we watch the match, now?"

"Okay, I will hold you to that. I won't forget to ask you again," Pablo said, smiling. Besides, he knew that even if she didn't go out with him, this time, he still had the rest of this tournament plus the one in Shanghai, then there was the World Finals in London. He was certain that Hunt was going to be at the World Finals, as was he, since they were both among the top-ranking tennis players in the world. He knew he had the time to wear her down.

While Pablo and Cristina were having their conversation, Owen was acutely aware of the two of them, sitting together. He did not miss Pablo's tall figure, making a beeline towards Cristina in the stands. He shook his head, as he watched his young competitor get a little too comfortable, sitting next to his assistant. Worse yet, he didn't have a clue what they were talking about and that was just aggravating him. It clearly was affecting his game, since his first serve turned out to be a double fault.

"Hunt hasn't settled down as yet," Pablo said. "He can take this guy with one hand tied behind his back." Cristina was surprised that Pablo spoke of Owen in such complimentary terms. She gave him a questioning look. "What?" he said. "Hunt and I are intense rivals on the court but that doesn't mean that I can't appreciate how good he is. The reason that we are so competitive with each other is that we are both that good. He pushes me to be better and I hope that I push him, too. We help each other to improve, plus we can give the spectators a really magnificent display of talent and power. Sometimes, I beat him and sometimes, he beats me. That is just the way it is."

"Actually, that is a great way to view your rivalry," Cristina said. She wasn't quite sure that Mr. Hunt saw it the same way.

"Oh, I admire him," Pablo said. "He has been a great ambassador for the game. When I first came on the scene, I was 18 and I really looked up to him and I worked really, really hard so I could be just as good as him. Now, I am 22 and I can actually play against him in the big grand slam events. He was the reason I became so good. I know he doesn't like me much but I admire him, greatly."

Cristina began seeing Pablo in a new light. "That is truly awesome to hear. I am glad that you feel this way about him. Maybe, he won't mind me going out with you after all."

"I seriously doubt that," Pablo said. "But if you go out with me, I promise to be a gentleman and I promise that you will enjoy yourself."

"Ah, we'll see," Cristina said, giving him a huge smile. Owen caught that smile. Why was she smiling at Pablo Quinteras? He was so distracted that he lost the first game on his service.

"Pull yourself together, Hunt," he muttered to himself. "Block it out. You can do this. You didn't get to where you are at by being distracted by Pablo Quinteras hitting on your assistant. Block it out, Hunt." With this mantra in his head, he finally focused on the game and beat his opponent in straight sets.

"See, I told you he could beat this guy with one hand tied behind his back," Pablo said. "Well, it is good to see you, Cristina. Hopefully, one day, you will be able to be at one of my matches."

"I have been, actually. The US Open final. You lost to Mr. Hunt," she said, cheekily.

"Ah, yes," he said. "Well, I would like you to see one of my matches, when I am actually winning."

"Okay," she said. "See you around, Pablo." Quinteras walked way, while Cristina packed up her bag. She was to meet Owen outside of the locker room, so they could go back to the hotel. She went over to the spot that she was supposed to meet him. She called the car service so that it would be outside, waiting for them. She waited for about half an hour, as he took a quick shower and changed into fresh clothes.

"Good match, Mr. Hunt," she said, as he came out. He grunted and gave her a steely glare. She was taken aback by his look. She racked her brain, wondering if she had done anything to offend him. The only thing that she could think of was that he saw her sitting with Pablo Quinteras. She really didn't do anything wrong. If he didn't like Pablo, that was his problem, she reasoned. Pablo had done nothing to make her dislike him.

So, the ride back to the hotel was in silence and so was the ride in the elevator. She got off on her floor and said, "So I will see you for dinner." He didn't say anything. That got her so mad that he was acting this way. He was actually sulking, she thought.

She went to her room, pulled out her computer and did a quick search on what time Pablo's match was. It was at 5 p.m. If Mr. Hunt didn't want to talk to her, then he shouldn't mind that she had gone out on her own free time. She finished up all that she had to do, got a taxi and headed back to the stadium. When she got a seat, she hoped that Pablo would look up, so that he would see her. He did look her way, so she gave him a quick wave. He saw her, smiled and waved back. After the match, which he won in straight sets, she was waiting for him outside of the locker room, as she had done, earlier for Mr. Hunt.

"Congrats on your winning your match," she said. "See, I did come."

"Yes, thank you," Pablo said. "Do you want to grab something to eat?"

She hesitated before she answered. She wasn't sure if Mr. Hunt expected to see her for dinner. He hadn't answered when she asked him about it. Maybe, he didn't want to see her for dinner and that is why he hadn't answered. She still made a reservation for him at the hotel restaurant, so she was certain that she had taken care of him. "Yeah, sure," she said. "Always up for some authentic Chinese food."

"Great," Pablo said. The two went off to sample the local cuisine.

* * *

At 7 p.m., Owen went up for dinner at the hotel restaurant, which was at the top of the building. He looked around for Cristina but she was nowhere to be seen. The maitre d' finally asked even if he was waiting for someone, he could still show him to his table.

"Yes," Owen said. "I am looking for my assistant. She usually is here by this time."

"Let me check the reservations," the maitre d' said. "Your name?"

"Hunt, Owen Hunt," Owen said. The man looked at his computer screen. "Yes, yes, you're booked for a table for one."

"What?" Owen said, surprised. "One?"

"Yes, I remember the call. The young lady said she was booking a table for one," the maitre d' said. "Let me show you to your table." He led Owen to a table, near a window, that looked out on the city skyline. He handed Owen a menu. "Your server will be right with you."

Though the meal was delicious, Owen hardly tasted any of it. He wondered where Cristina was and if she was angry by his attitude, earlier in the day. He gave her a call but she did not answer. She didn't answer because she and Pablo were in this very noisy place and she couldn't hear her phone. Owen was peeved at her.

He went back up to his room but not before stopping on her floor and knocking on her door but it was to no avail, she was not there.

* * *

Pablo and Cristina returned to the hotel around 10 p.m. He dropped her off at her door and then went to his room, which was on the same floor as Owen's. Owen had gone to get some ice, when he saw Pablo returning to his room. His brain started to work in overtime, as he went to his room and decided to give Cristina's room a call. A breathless Cristina answered. "Hello," she said. "Mr. Hunt?"

"Yes," Owen said. "I see you are back. I tried calling you, earlier but you didn't answer."

"I am sorry about that," she said. "I was in this very noisy place and I couldn't hear my phone. I just came back. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Please inform me next time when you are going out," he said, in a sharp tone. "There are times when I may need you."

"Okay," she said, recognizing the tone in his voice. "Good night, sir."

"Good night, Cristina," he said. He hung up the phone. So she had been out with Pablo and they had just come back. He didn't like this one bit.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your comments. Thank you for being kind enough to leave your thoughts.**


	9. Chapter 9 Getting Closer

Owen was waiting for Cristina to meet him for breakfast. When she came in, she looked a little tired. She was carrying her trusty notebook in case he needed to get anything done.

"Good morning, Cristina," he said. "Why don't you get yourself from breakfast from the buffet and we can have a chat?"

"Good morning, sir," she said. She got up and went to the buffet, as she chose eggs, sausages, toast and tea. She also picked up a fruit bowl before she made it back to the table.

"That is a hearty breakfast," he said. "Yeah, I am hungry," she said. She no longer took offense when he mentioned her appetite. It was now just part of the normal conversation. As she sat down, Owen noticed that Quinteras had come in for breakfast. Pablo sat down at a table and looked across at Owen and Cristina. He gave Cristina a huge smile, which did not escape Owen's attention. Cristina pretended she didn't see it because she was acutely aware of what Mr. Hunt felt about the on-court rival. It was a good time as any to bring up the subject of Pablo Quinteras, Owen thought. He had to nip this in the bud, before it got out of hand.

"I see someone is smiling at you," Owen said. There was no escaping it, now, since Mr. Hunt had already noticed. Cristina gave Pablo a small, shy smile.

"So you went out last night? Where did you go?" Owen asked. "We went out to one of the street markets here and we had some authentic Chinese food," she said.

"We?" Owen replied. "Who are we?" Cristina realized she had made a mistake when she said "we."

"Um, just a friend and me," she said, trying to concentrate on her breakfast in front of her.

"Friend? I didn't know that you had made friends on the circuit," he said. She nodded and didn't say anything. He continued, "Can I guess that your friend was Pablo Quinteras? Why else would he have that huge smile on his face, when he saw you?" There was no denying it, now.

"Yes," she said, softly. She knew what was coming.

"Cristina, may I say something?" he said. "I know you are a young girl and you would like to go out and see places. That is fine but Pablo Quinteras is not the young man I would like you to associate with."

She gave him a pained expression. He continued, "First of all, as my assistant, I would prefer you not to be fraternizing with the one person who is my most intense rival on the circuit. He and I are always in contention for the big trophies. It seems a little bit disloyal to me. Do you understand that?"

"Yes," she said. "But he is very nice and admires you, greatly. He says the reason that he got so good is because he wanted to play you in the big tournaments." Owen felt his mouth almost twitch in a smile when she said that but he held it back.

"Regardless of that, Cristina," he said. "If you wish to remain in my employ, you cannot go out with him, anymore." Cristina was disappointed. Pablo really was fun to hang out with, she thought.

"Okay, sir," she said. "I will let him know that I cannot see him, anymore." She finished up her breakfast and got up. "Excuse me, sir. I am going to talk to Pablo, now. Let me just get this over with." He watched as she walked over to Pablo's table. Pablo gave her a huge smile.

"Hey, you actually came over to talk to me, right in front of him. Now that is a bold step," he said. She sat down and had a sad expression. "Oh," Pablo said. "You've come to tell me that he doesn't want you going out with me, anymore."

"Yes," she said. "I am so sorry but it is my job. You are a very nice guy, Pablo. If circumstances were different, I would have no problems going out with you. I am so sorry."

"So what does that mean? You can't talk to me, anymore?" he asked.

"I am sure we can talk to each other but I can't go out with you. I can't fraternize with you. We can't see each other on a social basis. We can't hang out, we can't date," she said. She got up. "Goodbye, Pablo. I guess I will see you around."

As she turned to leave, he said, "What if you come work for me, instead?" She turned around and laughed. "You're kidding, right?"

"Kinda but not really. Hey, anytime, you want to leave Hunt's employ, give me a call, I will definitely have something for you," he said.

"Thanks, I will keep that in mind," she said. "Hey," he said. "Before you leave, I want to ask you one thing. Are you sure that he is objecting because it is ME, or would he be objecting if it was any guy?"

Cristina looked puzzled. "It's because it is you," she said. "What else could it be?"

"Okay," Pablo said. "Whatever you say. See you around, Cristina."

"Yeah, see ya," she said, returning to Owen's table. She sat down. "I have taken care of that," she said. "Is there anything you would like me to do?"

"How about going sight-seeing with me this morning? I am free, today," he said. "There is a lot to see and do in Beijing."

"Okay," she said. "I am game for anything." "Good," he said. "Let's get some walking shoes and I will meet you in the lobby in 15 minutes."

"Yes, yes, yes," she said. She was very excited. "Heading up to my room, now to change my shoes." Owen grinned at her excitement. He signed the bill and then, headed up to his room to change his shoes. When he came down to the lobby, she was already waiting; she had not only changed her shoes but also had a guide book and camera with her. She looked like a total tourist. He grinned at her.

"Come on, my lady, let us get out there," he said. In the end, they decided to take a full day tour of The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven. They got lots and lots of pictures. Everywhere they went, he took photos of her, she took photos of him, and then they got people to take photos of them together. By the time they got back to the hotel, they were totally exhausted. Even though they were tired, they had a thoroughly enjoyable day. They had dinner and then they crashed on to their beds in their respective room. Her last thought before she fell asleep was that Mr. Hunt could be a lot of fun, when he wasn't so focused on winning tournaments, all of the time. They each had a very good night's sleep.

The next day, he was back in competition mode and she accompanied him to his next match. He easily won that. He was in fine form and in the next few days, he won all of his matches, including the finals against Quinteras. He got a special sense of vindication when he beat that particular opponent. As he hoisted his trophy, he could see Cristina clapping for him and he was ecstatic to see her supporting him like this.

In Shanghai, the tables were turned and Owen lost in the finals against Quinteras. But strangely enough, it didn't bother him as much. He was actually feeling good about other things. He and Cristina had done another sight-seeing tour in Shanghai and he found himself enjoying her company, so much. Usually, when he lost a tournament, he would be so mad at himself and she didn't talk to him. But because they were spending so much time together, she met him after the finals match and told him that it didn't matter, he was going to win the World Finals in London. She said it with such confidence that he had to smile.

In London, they also managed to take another sight-seeing tour. He had been to all of these cities before and it never occurred to him to take the time to enjoy the city he was visiting. He was always focused on winning. With her, he found himself more relaxed and taking life a lot easier. While he was still competitive on the courts, he was learning to enjoy being off the court. He realized that the reason that he had so many one-night stands was that it was a way to let off the steam and tension that he experienced on the courts. Still, it was a poor way to have treated these women, most of them whose names he never remembered. He was glad that he had stopped doing that. When he won the world finals, Cristina was there to share in his triumph, as much as she was there to comfort him, in his earlier defeat in Shanghai. It was nice to have someone in his corner. Jesper had been in his corner but it had been a different dynamic with him. With Cristina, he knew it was different because of the way he felt about her.

* * *

When they got back to New York to the estate, Owen asked her what her plans were for the holidays, since they didn't have to travel for the rest of the year. "Thanksgiving, I will be spending it in New York City with my aunt and uncle. You remember them, right?" He nodded. He certainly remembered Cristina's aunt and uncle who had made the trip from New York to drop her off at the Hamptons estate.

"What about Christmas?" he asked.

"I think I will be headed to New Hampshire for Christmas to see my parents and my family," she said.

"I will be up your way for Christmas, too," he said. "In fact, I will be right next door."

"What do you mean?" she was puzzled.

"Vermont, I will be in Vermont, which is next door to New Hampshire. My family has a Christmas tree farm there," he said. "That's where I grew up until the age of 12. Then, they sent me to Florida to a tennis academy."

"Really?" she said. "That is just wonderful, Mr. Hunt. Are you going up for Thanksgiving, too?"

"No, I have a couple of meetings that I have after Thanksgiving plus I want to be around to do some shopping for everyone before I go to Vermont," he said.

"Well, if you are not going anywhere for Thanksgiving, if you want, you could join me and my relatives in New York," she said. "The kids and I were going to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and then we are having dinner. I mean we are not fancy but it is good food."

"I don't want to impose," he said. "I think you should ask your aunt and uncle, first, before you invite me."

"Don't worry about that," she said. "They can boast that they have a real live celebrity at their Thanksgiving dinner. Plus the kids are going to go bat-crazy that you are in their house."

"Well, thank you, Cristina," he said. "I would be honored to join your family for Thanksgiving."

"Awesome," she said. "I will call Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Murray, right now." She ran off, excitedly, to get her phone to call them. He had the widest smile on his face.

* * *

Owen and Cristina drove up to Manhattan, the night before Thanksgiving. He dropped her off at her aunt's place, while he took a room at a nearby hotel. After having breakfast at his hotel, he went over to the Cohens' place where he picked up Cristina, Nate and Nick. The boys were extremely excited that they were actually going to the parade with Owen Hunt, their sports hero. They found a good spot on the parade route. Cristina had a thermos with hot cocoa for the boys and a thermos with hot coffee for her and Owen. It was a cold morning and they were all bundled up. It was the first time that Owen had ever gone to the parade. He was a boy from Vermont and the closest he ever got to the parade was on television. He had to admit that the boys' excitement was contagious and he found himself enjoying being with this family more and more. A cold, brisk breeze came through and everyone found themselves shivering.

"Cold, Cristina?" he asked her. "Yes," she said as she hugged herself. "Come," he said. "I will keep you warm." He put his arms around her. The warmth of his body was soothing and comfortable, she thought.

After the parade, he dropped them off at their house. "Come back at 6 p.m.," she said, as he left. "Will do," he answered. He went back to the hotel, kicked off his shoes and promptly fell asleep. When he woke up, it was already after 4.30 p.m. He took a warm shower and changed. By the time he got to the Cohens' house, it was already 5.45 p.m. He had got there in good time.

He rang the bell. Nate answered. "Hello, Mr. Hunt. Welcome."

"Thank you, Nate," Owen said. Nate took Owen's coat, hat and scarf and hung it up in the closet. "Look who's here."

Murray came out and shook Owen's hand. "Welcome to our house, Mr. Hunt. Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you for taking the kids out to the parade, today. Gave Dorothy and me a chance to get this dinner in order."

"Please call me Owen," he said. "Happy Thanksgiving. The boys were no trouble and to be honest, that was my first time at the parade. I thoroughly enjoyed it."

Dorothy came out of the kitchen and gave Owen a kiss on the cheek. "Happy Thanksgiving. Dinner will be ready in a bit." Cristina came down the stairs in a pretty, burgundy dress. Just seeing her made him smile.

"Hi, Mr. Hunt," she said. "Glad that you are here." She gave him a small peck on the cheek. "Happy Thanksgiving."

Just then, the bell rang and Cristina went to answer it. She gasped when she opened the door to reveal a handsome, dark-haired young man with green eyes. "Jacob, what are you doing here?" she said.

"Cristina, is that any way you greet a guy you once dated?" Jacob said with a cheeky smile on his face.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your comments. Thank you for taking the time to leave your reviews. I do appreciate when you do.**


	10. Chapter 10 The Holidays

"Still, what are you doing here?" Cristina asked, letting Jacob in.

"I was invited," he said. "Uncle Murray asked if I was going home for Thanksgiving and I told him that since I had finals, I wouldn't be doing that and he invited me for dinner."

"Oh," Cristina said. "Well, happy Thanksgiving, Jacob."

"Happy Thanksgiving to you, too, Cristina. My, you have gotten even prettier over the last two years," Jacob replied. The young man winked at her as he greeted the various members of the Cohen family.

"You dated him?" Owen asked. He was a little more than curious.

"Yes, for about two years," Cristina said. "My freshman and sophomore year at Dartmouth. When I got into Dartmouth, I was only 17 and Uncle Murray asked Jacob to look out for me, since he was already a junior there."

"You both call him Uncle Murray. Are you related somehow?" Owen asked as he was puzzled.

"No, no, he's my Uncle Murray because he is married to my Aunt Dorothy, who is my mother's sister. He is Jacob's Uncle Murray because Murray and Jacob's dad were best friends in college and remained good friends throughout the years. So I guess since the families were close, the kids called each other's parents aunt and uncle, even though they are not blood-related," Cristina explained.

"Okay," Owen said. He gave Jacob the once-over. There was something about Jacob that seemed so familiar, yet Owen knew he had never met him before. He reminded him of someone else that he knew. Owen looked at Jacob's dark wavy hair and his fine features. Then, it hit him. Jacob looked a lot like Pablo Quinteras. Other than the fact that Jacob had green eyes and Pablo had brown eyes, they were cut from the same cloth as they were both blessed with dark hair and pretty boy looks. It dawned on Owen that Cristina had a type – a dark-haired, pretty boy type of guy. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. Owen looked nothing like this – he was blonde and fair. And while people considered him handsome, he was nowhere close to the pretty-boy type. He could not believe this. No wonder he was fighting an uphill battle with Cristina. He was not her physical type. What did she see in these guys? He could not help but scoff.

"What was that, sir?" she asked. "Do you need anything?" He shook his head and wondered why she just couldn't see him, for who he was and what he stood for and how he felt about her. It was an odd feeling for him. Usually, he had women falling all over him, trying to get his attention. Cristina never acted that way with him and now he knew why. He just wasn't the physical type to which she was attracted.

"No," he said. "I am fine. Cristina. I hope you don't mind me asking this but why did you break up if you were with him for two years."

"It's okay, you can ask. I am so over it, now but it was really painful, then. When he graduated, I was just finishing up my sophomore year. He had been accepted at NYU Law and he felt since we were going to be separated, he didn't think it would be a good idea to continue this relationship. So we broke up. It was very hard for me, at first, but I got over it," she said. "I did have the suspicion that he wanted to date other girls in New York and didn't want to have the burden of a girlfriend back in college."

"So it doesn't bother you that he is here?" Owen asked. He felt like decking this kid. How could he treat Cristina like that?

"A little," she said. "But it's okay. Nick and Nate are here and I love them. You're here and I am glad you're here because you are a great boss and I like you." He smiled when she said that she was glad that he was here. Maybe he would be able to overcome her aversion to blonde guys, after all.

When everyone was seated at the dinner table, Murray and Dorothy sat on the head and the foot of the table, while Cristina and Owen sat on one side, while Jacob sat on the same side with Nick and Nate. Owen was surprised when Cristina put her hand into his but then he realized that Murray was going to say a prayer, so everyone joined hands. It was nice to hold hands with her, even though it was just for a prayer.

Jacob winked at Cristina from across the table. She shook her head at him. Owen felt like reaching over the table and giving him a smack on his head. Jacob had dumped her so he could date other girls. He had no right to be winking at her like that, Owen thought.

"So, Cristina," Jacob said. "What are you doing now?"

"Well, I am Mr. Hunt's personal assistant," she said, gesturing to her boss.

"Mr. Hunt?" Jacob took a closer look at the blonde man sitting opposite him. "You're Owen Hunt, that professional tennis player. Oh my God, I didn't realize that at first. I thought you looked familiar but I guess I didn't place you without a tennis racquet in your hand."

"Yes, I am," Owen said.

"Wow, Cristina, you must really be getting to travel the world," Jacob said, enthusiastically. "You always wanted to do that, especially with your ability to speak all those different languages. I am sure you are enjoying yourself."

"Honestly, Jacob, it is one of the best things I have ever done. New places, new people, new cultures. Imagine seeing all of the things that I only read about in books right in front of me. Best of all, I have the greatest boss to share it with," she said. She looked at Owen and gave him the brightest smile. It warmed his heart to see it. "We go sight-seeing in whatever city we are in to just appreciate everything that the city has to offer. Just fabulous. I have a good life." She wondered if she was over-selling it but she wanted to prove to him that she was doing just fine, without Jacob Milner in her life.

"That's good to hear," Jacob said. "I am glad that you are doing so well."

"So how is your final year at law school going, Jacob?" Murray asked. He was listening to their conversation and he seemed a little puzzled by the dynamic between his best friend's son and his niece. It was as if Cristina wanted to prove that she was doing okay without her former boyfriend.

"I am doing fine, sir," Jacob said. "I only have next semester and then, I will be done. Of course, there are always the boards."

"So are you going to stay in New York or go back home to Raleigh and do the North Carolina boards instead?" Dorothy asked.

"Pondering staying in New York. I like it here," Jacob said. "The city seems to agree with me. So, Cristina, are you based in New York, when you are not traveling the world?"

"Yes," she said. "But not in the city. Mr. Hunt has an estate in the Hamptons."

"Hmm," Jacob responded. "So are you staying in New York for the rest of the holidays?" Would this guy not shut up, Owen thought. Why was he asking so many questions?

"Cristina will be going to her parents' place in New Hampshire for the holidays," Owen answered for her. "I will also be heading to Vermont to my parents' Christmas tree farm in Vermont. Neither of us will be in the New York area for the holidays." He said it, quite firmly, so he could curtail any further talk on where Cristina will be for the holidays. Jacob certainly got the message because he immediately recognized a rival for Cristina's affections. He knew that Owen Hunt had a greater interest in Cristina than an employee-employer relationship. Jacob examined his ex-girlfriend's demeanor. She seemed totally oblivious to it. "Hmmm," was all Jacob could say.

Murray and Dorothy certainly could feel a certain amount of tension between the two young men and they knew that their young niece was probably the source of that tension. Dorothy certainly wanted to lighten the air a little bit.

"So, Cristina, tell us about your travels," she said, brightly to her niece. Cristina perked up at that question. She could talk at length about where she had been and what she had seen. She was a very descriptive speaker and she had them enthralled. Even though Owen already had first-hand knowledge about what she was speaking about, he was just as avid a listener to her stories. He looked at her with adoring eyes.

After dinner and dessert, Cristina walked Owen to the front door. "So I guess this is where we say goodbye," she told him. "I am heading to New Hampshire, tomorrow. I probably won't see you until the new year. So, happy holidays, Mr. Hunt." She gave him a tight hug. "I will miss you, sir."

"And I, you," he said, hugging her back. He kissed her on the top of her head. "Have a wonderful holiday with your family."

She watched as he got into his car and left for his hotel. Owen planned to stay in the city to do some shopping over the weekend. Then, he had his meeting with the shoe company on Monday, and then after that, he was going to fly up to Vermont.

* * *

When he stepped out of the airport in Vermont, he could feel how much colder and crisper the air was up there, compared to New York. But he didn't mind, this was his home. He told his parents that he could rent a car and drive to the farm but he knew they would be waiting for him. "Mom, dad," he said. His mom, Bea, rosy-cheeked with blue eyes, ran to hug him.

"So good to see you, Owen," she said, hugging him. He wiped the tears away from her eyes. His dad, Moe, tall, white-haired and also blue-eyed, gave him a quick hug and a slap on the back. "Looking well, son," Moe said. "Thanks, dad," Owen said, grinning. He got into the back-seat of his parents' double-cab truck. As they drove out of the airport and headed to the Christmas tree farm, Owen marveled at how quiet and beautiful everything was.

As they drove along, Owen's mom turned around. "So, it has been another great year, Owen. We cut out all of the stories about you and added it to our scrapbook."

"Oh, Mom, you have been doing that since I was 12 years old," Owen said. "You must have about 30 scrapbooks by now."

"Actually, 32," Bea said, proudly. "So, Owen, I thought by now, you would bring home a girl to meet us for the holidays. We see you with all these beautiful young ladies in the magazines but we have never met any of them."

"Oh, mom," Owen said in exasperation. He threw his hands up in the air.

"Oh, come on, son," Moe said. "Your sister, Katie, has four kids but none of them carry the Hunt last name. You're our only hope for the future of the Hunt name."

"Okay, okay, I met someone whom I really like," Owen said. His parents perked up, immediately. "So where is she?" Bea said.

"She is home with her parents in New Hampshire," Owen said. "She is there for the holidays."

"New Hampshire is right there, Owen," Bea said. "You can just hop over the state line and get her and introduce her to us."

"It is not that easy, Mom. She doesn't know that I feel this way," Owen admitted, sheepishly.

"Oh, good grief, Owen," Moe said. "Haven't I taught you enough about handling the ladies?" Bea glared at her husband. "We have been married 30 years, Moe, and you still can't handle me. So what could you teach our son?" Owen had to laugh at his parents' bickering. He went back to staring at the Vermont countryside and remembering how much he had missed this place.

* * *

Cristina had settled back into her old room at her parents' home. It still had all the stuff from her high school and college days. She really needed to clear out all that stuff and put them in box in the basement. She had so much great stuff to put in her room from all her travels. She enjoyed being home with her parents. Her mom, Helen and dad, Burt doted on their only child.

The house was festively decorated for the season, except there was one thing missing. They had no Christmas tree. Cristina and her mother, Helen, kept nagging her dad to go to the Christmas tree lot and get a tree for the house. He kept putting it off because he said he had so many things to do. Two days before Christmas, he finally relented. They went to the Christmas tree lot in town and were greeted by the sorriest and saddest looking trees.

"Dad, all the good trees are gone. Look at these scrawny trees with hardly any needles on them," Cristina chided her father. She pouted. It wasn't Christmas without a beautiful Christmas tree in the living room.

"I am sorry, honey, for putting it off so late," Burt said. He hated to disappoint his daughter and he looked around the lot, looking for the best tree he could find. It was to no avail because every time he found a tree, Helen and Cristina found fault with it. He had just about given up when Cristina gave a little scream.

"I know where we can get a tree," she said. "We just have to drive over the state line to Vermont. It is only 45 miles from here."

"Vermont?" Burt said. "What's in Vermont?"

"My boss, Owen Hunt. His family has a Christmas tree farm in Vermont," Cristina shrieked. "Why didn't I think of this earlier? We can cut down our own beautiful Christmas tree, strap it to the top of the car and bring it home."

"Forty-five miles for a tree?" Burt said, doubtfully. But then he saw Cristina's face. He could never deny his little girl anything.

"Okay, baby," he said. "We will go to the Christmas tree farm in Vermont for a tree."

"Oh, good," she screamed. "I will call him now. You won't regret this, dad." Cristina called Owen, immediately. When Owen saw her name on his phone, he was surprised. He hadn't heard from her since Thanksgiving, he answered, happily, "Hey there, you. What's up?"

"Can we come to your farm and get a tree?" she asked. "We are at the Christmas tree lot in our town and there is nothing that we want."

"Yeah, of course," he said. "I mean we have sold a lot of trees but we have many great trees here. I can help you choose and cut it down."

"Thank you, thank you," she said. "We're leaving now. We should be there in less than an hour." She hung up the phone. Owen couldn't believe it. Cristina and her parents were coming to the farm.

"Who was that on the phone?" Bea asked.

"It's her. The girl I was telling you about. She's coming here," he told his mother. Both mother and son smiled at the same time.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your reviews. I do appreciate when you take the time to do so.**


	11. Chapter 11 An Eventful Journey

"Now, mom, when she gets here, you are not to let on about the way I feel," Owen warned his mother. "It is a delicate situation."

"What do you mean by that?" Bea asked, in a puzzled voice. "How could it be delicate? You like the girl. What more could there be?"

"Cristina is my personal assistant. She works for me. That's what makes it so delicate. Plus I am not even her type," Owen said, sadly.

"Not her type. My boy is so big, strong, smart and handsome. You are every woman's type, Owen," she said, proudly.

"Not Cristina's. I have seen the guys that she likes and they look nothing like me," Owen said. "I guess I just have to work harder for her to notice me in that way." Bea shook her head. Surely, something must be wrong with the girl. What right-thinking young woman would not be attracted to her boy?

"Alright," Bea said. "Tell me about the girl. I might as well learn something about her since this is the first time you have actually kinda brought home a girl for us to meet."

"Hold on a minute. Let's get one thing straight. I am not kinda bringing her home, even though one day, I do hope that I would do that with her. She and her family are coming to get a Christmas tree," Owen said. "We do run a Christmas tree farm, Mom. It is pure business. They couldn't find any good trees in their town, so they are coming to buy a tree from us."

"Oh, so her family is coming, too. Even better," Bea said. "Might as well get an early start on meeting the in-laws. I wonder if I should bake some pastries and brew some tea."

"Mom!" Owen said, slapping his forehead. "They are not in-laws. She is not my girlfriend, at the present moment."

"Oh, Owen, you know that I am just joshing with you. I will be on my best behavior. But you still have not told me about the girl," Bea said, smiling.

"Well, Cristina is 21 years old. She went to school at Dartmouth. I met her in New York during the US Open. She was there with her two little cousins, who are huge fans of mine. She became my personal assistant after Jesper quit to get married and she has been working with me, ever since. We had a few teething problems as employer and employee but we have gotten over them. What else can I tell you? She speaks a lot of different languages, which helps in her job. She has got the most amazing hair I have ever seen on a woman and she is beautiful," he said.

"Twenty one, Owen? That is kinda young," Bea said.

"Mom, I am not old. What is wrong with everyone? First, Jesper puts her at a table with the 'young' people at his wedding and now, you are telling me that she is young. I am 26, only five years older than her," Owen said, a little exasperated.

"Oh, son, I didn't mean anything by that. It is just that she is just out of school and just starting to make her way in the world. Probably still has that youthful mindset. You, on the other hand, have been earning your way for a while, now," Bea said, trying to soothe her son's hurt feelings.

"Hmmm," Owen said. "Well, anyway, mom, I just don't want you and dad to say something to out my true feelings."

"Okay, my lips are sealed on that particular topic," she said. "I eagerly await the young lady and her family."

* * *

Cristina and her parents were using a map to find their way to Hunt's Christmas Tree Farm. "Dad, I wish you would get a GPS for this old car. Looking at this map is hurting my eyes," Cristina said from the back seat.

"I am just exercising your navigation skills, young lady," Burt said. "If I get a GPS, then you won't keep your skills sharp." Cristina groaned, loudly. Helen smiled. She enjoyed when her daughter and her husband carried on like this. It was rather entertaining.

"Okay, you take this left and you should find a bridge and cross it," Cristina said. They turned left but were stopped dead in their tracks by a huge sign, saying that the bridge was down for repairs.

"Oh, goodness gracious," Burt said. "Cristina, you have to find another way to this farm. And did the radio say anything about this snow? It is starting to come down, now. We better get there fast, if we are going to get back home with this tree."

"Okay, dad," Cristina said, peering at the map. "We have to go back and make a turn about two miles back." Burt opened his window and stared out at the snow. He didn't want to alarm his wife and his daughter but he was plenty worried. He turned around the car and headed back down the road.

* * *

Owen stood anxiously at the door. He kept looking out every few minutes. It was nearly two hours since Cristina said they were leaving their town and the Yangs had not arrived as yet. He was getting worried plus he could see that the snow was already starting to come down.

His dad pulled in to the driveway. "It's really coming down, son. What's the matter?" Moe said, noting Owen's anxious face.

"The girl I was telling you about – Cristina – she and her family are coming to get a tree and it is nearly two hours since she called and they haven't arrived as yet. I tried calling her but I got nothing," Owen said. "I am getting worried."

"Son, you should have told them not to come. Didn't you listen to the radio this morning about the snowfall today?" Moe said. "Well, we have no choice but to go look for them. Get some warm blankets and some hot coffee. We will probably need them."

Owen pulled on his warmest winter clothes and grabbed up a couple of warm blankets. He and his dad headed down the road. Owen kept his eyes peeled on both sides of the road. He hoped that they had not gone down an embankment.

Three miles from their house, they finally spotted the car. "That's them," Owen said. "They almost made it." It looked like the car had stalled.

Owen jumped out of the car and knocked on the driver side window. The man in the driver's seat opened the window and said, "Help my daughter." Owen got extremely frantic as he pulled open the door to the back seat. Cristina was lying down on the seat, wrapped in a throw blanket. Her eyes were closed. Owen felt her face. She felt so cold.

"She stopped talking a while back," Burt said. Owen gave Helen and Burt blankets and he gently slapped Cristina on her cheeks. "Cristina, you have got to wake up." She opened her eyes and whispered, "I am so cold, Mr. Hunt."

"Thank God," Owen said, as he wrapped her in a blanket and carried her to his dad's truck. Moe helped Burt and Helen to the truck. Burt sat in the front seat with Moe, while Helen, Owen and Cristina were in the back seat. Owen had Cristina wrapped in his arms. Helen looked curiously at the young man, holding her daughter. Surely, this must be her employer, Owen Hunt, for him to be so familiar with her daughter.

Moe handed around the thermos of hot coffee. "Have a drink, everyone. Warm up the bones. There are lots more at the house and I am sure my wife has soup and homemade bread for everyone." First, Burt had a drink, then he passed it to Helen, who then handed it to Owen. Owen shook Cristina and she opened her eyes. "Drink, Cristina" he said. "It will warm you up." She drank some of the coffee and it seemed to perk her up more as she kept her eyes open.

When they got to the house, everyone got out of the truck with Owen, still carrying Cristina into the house. "Oh my, oh my," Bea said. "Come in quickly and warm up." The house was toasty warm and the Yangs started to feel a lot better. "I have some hot soup. Come sit at the table." She quickly ladled out the soup with homemade bread for everyone. She looked at Cristina, wrapped in a heavy blanket, and still shivering. She could tell that the girl was tiny under that blanket.

"Poor thing doesn't have much meat on her bones. No wonder she is still so cold," Bea said, shaking her head.

"Mom," Owen chided her before turning to Cristina. "Cristina, have some soup." Cristina gratefully sipped at the soup. "Good," she whispered. Owen made sure she ate every bit of the soup and bread. "So I guess this means no tree today," she said. Owen laughed. She clearly was feeling better if she could make a small joke.

"I guess you folks are going to have to stay the night here with us," Moe said. "What are your names? What happened out there?"

"Oh, my God, where are my manners? You all have shown us such hospitality and saved us from certain death. After we found the bridge closed, we tried an alternative route but we got lost then the engine stalled and the heat went out," Burt said. "I am Burt Yang and this is my wife, Helen and this is our daughter, Cristina, who works for your son."

"Well, I am Moe Hunt and this is my wife, Bea. And that is Owen, our son," Moe said. "Good to meet you folks even though it may not have been in the best of circumstances. I was thinking, Burt, that you and your wife can sleep in our daughter, Katie's room. Katie is Owen's older sister. She got married and moved out of the house, a couple of years ago, so that room is empty. As for the little lady here….."

Owen piped up, immediately. "She can sleep in my room."

"Where are you going to sleep, son?" Bea asked. Owen answered, "I will get the air mattress from the garage and just put it on the floor of my bedroom. I just want to make sure that Cristina is okay."

"Okay, well that is settled," Moe said. He was a little unsure about Cristina and Owen sleeping in the same room, especially since he knew that his son harbored feelings for the girl.

Later that night, everyone went to their rooms. Owen helped Cristina under the covers. "Thank you for giving me your bed," she said. "No problem," Owen replied. "Remember I will be right there on the air mattress, if you need anything."

He lay down on the air mattress, under his blankets, waiting for her to fall asleep. She did fall asleep but it seemed to be a fitful rest. He wondered if she was still cold. He got in next to her and held her close. Soon, her breathing was even. He knew that she was now getting a restful sleep. He was going to get out of the bed and back on to the air mattress, when she threw a slim leg and an arm over him. He didn't want to wake her up by removing the leg and the arm, since he didn't want her to know that she was in the same bed as him. He closed his eyes and soon fell asleep.

He awoke the next morning and rubbed his eyes. Cristina's head was tucked under his chin. At least, she did not have him trapped in a spoon-like position. It was rare that he shared a bed with a woman and no sex was involved. He easily disengaged himself from her and gently rolled on to his air mattress. He hugged his pillow and continued his snooze. He was awakened a second time by a gentle shaking. He opened his eyes to see Cristina over him.

"Good morning, Mr. Hunt," she said, with a smile. "I feel much better than yesterday."

"That's good," he said, taking a stretch. "I guess we should get up and take a survey of the scene outside. Do you want to use the bathroom first?"

"I already did. Thanks for the new toothbrush," she said.

"You are welcome," he said. "Why don't you check my parents in the kitchen? I am pretty sure that my mom already has breakfast ready. She is an early riser."

"Okay," Cristina said, heading out of the bedroom.

Owen got up, used the bathroom and brushed his teeth. He headed to the kitchen area and he could hear voices. It seemed like everyone was up and he was right. His parents and the Yangs were already at the kitchen table.

"Morning, son," Bea said. She handed him a cup of coffee. He took a sip. The hot, dark liquid felt good going down his throat.

"Good morning," the Yangs said, simultaneously.

"Morning," Owen said. "Dad, did you take a look outside?" His father nodded. "It looks like the Yangs will be stuck with us for a few days. We have to wait until they clear the roads before we can even go look at their car and see what's wrong with it," Moe told him.

"A few days?" Cristina said, a little surprised.

"Yup, it seems that the Yangs and the Hunts are going to have to spend Christmas together," Moe said. Inwardly, Owen smiled.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your comments and reviews. I do appreciate reading your thoughts.**


	12. Chapter 12 Christmas Eve

"Oh, my God," Helen said. "We can't stay in these clothes, if we have to stay here for a few days."

"Don't worry, Helen. You can borrow some of my clothes, Burt can wear some of Moe's clothes and I think I have some clothes from Katie, when she used to be a teenager. We can get those for Cristina," Bea said.

"Thank you," Helen said. Owen smiled to himself because he could well imagine how the Yangs would look in the Hunts' clothes, since the Hunt family was physically a lot bigger than the small Asian family. Especially, Cristina, he thought, because even when Katie was a teenager, she was not a small girl. His sister Katie was a full grown five foot nine by then.

"Come, Helen," Bea said. "Let's get some clothes for your family. I am sure you all want to freshen up this morning." The two ladies left, leaving the men and Cristina having breakfast. Moe noticed Cristina's plate was full with biscuits, eggs and sausages. He watched her in fascination. Owen noticed his father's gaze and knew exactly what he was thinking.

"For an itty-bitty thing, you sure have the capacity to put away a lot," Moe said. Owen looked at Cristina, knowing that sometimes, she was sensitive about people mentioning the fact that she had a very large appetite. He was relieved when she laughed. He really didn't want his father offending his young assistant because he wanted her to like his family.

"Yes," she said. "My metabolism is high and I get hungry, a lot."

"That is just awesome," Moe said. "I wish I could eat like that but my cholesterol would be out of control. I would have to be at the doctor's office, the next day." Cristina smiled at him before polishing off her plate.

Helen and Bea returned with several pieces of clothing in their hands. The Yangs then departed to the bedrooms to take showers and change into their borrowed clothing. Owen was dying to see how they looked. They started coming out one by one. Owen found it hard to control his laughter. Cristina was the last to come out. Her pants were being held up by an enormous belt, while she had folded the hem of her pants several times to accommodate her short legs. Her shirt was also too big and was falling off her shoulder. In their poorly fitting clothing, they looked like refugees.

"Oh, my," Bea said, shaking her head at how the clothes fitted them. "You are such a tiny family."

"It's okay," Helen said. "We are just grateful for the clean clothes and it will only be for a few days, anyway."

"Yes," Burt said. "Your hospitality has been tremendous. We don't how to repay you."

"Pshaw," Moe said. "It is totally fine. Always nice to have folks over for the holidays. Today is Christmas Eve, so we are having dinner tonight. Plus Katie and her family will come over for lunch, tomorrow. She is having Christmas Eve dinner with her in-laws."

"I can help you with the cooking. I might as well make myself useful," Helen said. "Cristina is not that good but she will help, too."

"Mom!" Cristina said. Why did her mother have to embarrass her like that? "I will gladly help, Mrs. Hunt. I may not be able to cook very well but I can help with the preparations like chopping vegetables."

"That's fine, Cristina," Bea said. "We'll get started after lunch. Why don't you go outside and check out the snow? Maybe you can go sledding or something. Owen can get the old sled out of the garage for you. Isn't that right, son?" Owen knew exactly what his mother was doing. She was forcing them to be together.

"Yeah, mom," Owen said. "Cristina, are you interested?" She nodded. She hadn't gone sledding, since she was a kid. That sounded like fun. Cristina followed Owen into the garage, where he took out his sled. He hadn't been on it, since he was a teenager. It was still in good condition.

"There is a hill near the back of the house. That's where we're going to go. Katie and I used to sled down there, all of the time. I think you will like it," he said. She followed him to the top of the hill, through the pristine snow. She looked around – it was so beautiful there with all of the snow and the trees.

"So this is the hill. Dad cleared away the trees in this area, so we could use this part of the hill as a sledding area. He said he didn't want us crashing into trees and killing ourselves," Owen said. "Can I go on first? It has been so long."

"Sure," she said. "It is your sled." Without much further ado, Owen started pushing the sled, before jumping on and riding the sled down the hill. It was as exhilarating as he remembered. The bad part, as always, was pulling the sled back up the hill to ride it again. When he got to the top, he told Cristina to get on the sled and he was going to give her a push start. She lay on it and he pushed her. She went sledding down the hill, really fast and then the sled hit a bump and threw Cristina into the air and she landed face down on to the snow.

"Cristina!" Owen screamed as he ran down the hill. "Cristina!" He got to her still body. "Oh, baby, please be okay." He gently turned her over and started checking her vitals. He checked her breathing and her pulse. Then, she started giggling.

"Cristina Yang, that is not nice," he said. "Pretending that you were hurt. I was so worried."

"Sorry about that," she said. "Just thought I would give you a little scare. Come on, let's get the sled back up to the top." He held on to the rope and pulled it back up to the top. They then took turns on the sled, having fun like two little kids.

By the time they got back to the farmhouse, it was lunchtime. Bea had prepared grilled chicken sandwiches and fries, along with cups of hot chocolate. Owen and Cristina were very hungry and they each devoured two sandwiches. "I see riding the sled has worked up quite an appetite," Bea said.

"Yeah, mom. Haven't been on that sled in ages. We had so much fun," he said. Cristina nodded, as her mouth was full and she couldn't speak. "Well, glad that I suggested it," Bea said. She had never seen her son so happy, not even when he was winning tournaments. He clearly loved being with the girl. He had said that he liked the girl but Bea was sure that he loved Cristina.

* * *

After lunch, Owen, his dad and Mr. Yang went to get a tree. It was a tradition in the Hunt family that they didn't cut a tree until Christmas Eve. Moe already had a tree in mind and he led them directly to it. The tree was placed in a large sledge and they dragged it down to the house with a tractor. Cristina was helping in the kitchen, when she saw them bring the tree into the house. She was so excited, since that was the reason that they had come to the Hunt farm.

"It is beautiful," Cristina said as Moe and Owen set up the tree in the living room.

"Yes, it is," Moe said. "Every time, someone asked about buying that particular tree, I would say that it was not for sale. I was saving it for us."

"Can I help to decorate? I am much better with this than in the kitchen," Cristina asked.

"Sure, little lady. Owen will get the decorations out of the attic and you and he can decorate it before we have Christmas Eve dinner tonight," Moe said. "Owen?" He looked around for his son. "Well, it seems that Owen has already gone to the attic." Owen returned from the attic, balancing two large boxes in his arms.

"Okay, Cristina, we have decorations and in here, from since I was a little kid," Owen said. "Some of these have been passed down from several generations of Hunts. Many of them were hand-made."

He opened the box to reveal lots of beautiful decorations and ornaments. "Ooh, they are lovely, Mr. Hunt." She picked up a dark-haired angel. "I love this one." Owen noted how much the angel looked like Cristina with its long dark hair.

"That one belonged to my grandma," Owen said. "Every time I see it, it always reminded me of her. Come, Cristina, help me unravel the lights so we can string the tree first." They both got to work, unraveling the lights and then, putting up the decorations. The finishing touch was putting the star at the top of the tree. Owen lifted Cristina so she could put it at the top. "Done," she said, triumphantly and he gently placed her on to the floor.

"Now, let's just get this tree lighted. Mom, Dad, everyone, we are going plug in the tree," Owen said. The women came out of the kitchen, while the men, who were watching television, also joined them. Owen plugged it in and the whole tree became alit, giving the entire room a warm, soft glow. "Ooooh, lovely," said Helen.

"Now that is a tree, Dad," Cristina said. "Not like those scrawny ones you wanted to buy from the Christmas tree lot." Burt agreed. "It is a beautiful tree, Cristina. Better than any we have ever had."

"Well, dinner will be ready in a bit," Bea said. "Let's all freshen up for dinner and then we can eat."

* * *

Forty five minutes later, everyone was in the dining room. The food was already laid out on the table. At the center of the table was a delicious glazed ham with lots of delectable side dishes. "You ladies did really well," Moe said, admiringly.

"Yes, we did," Bea said. "Even though we were abandoned by our little helper, who decided decorating the tree was more interesting." Cristina whimpered a bit.

"It's okay, honey," Moe said. "You and Owen did a wonderful job with the tree."

"Thank you," Cristina said, softly.

"So, let's all enjoy this wonderful meal," Moe said. The Hunts and the Yangs chatted as they ate. It was such an easygoing conversation that it sounded like they were friends for years, even though they only met the day before. Owen was glad that they were getting along. It boded well if he and Cristina ever became more than just employer and employee.

"Owen, honey, could you go to the kitchen and get the dessert?" his mother asked. "There are four different pies, so maybe you and Cristina can bring them in." Owen and Cristina got up from their chairs and headed to the kitchen, where the pies were sitting on the counter.

"What kind of pies are these?" Cristina asked.

"If I know my mother well, they should be peach, apple, cherry and blueberry," Owen said. "She likes to give us variety. Don't worry, they all taste great but I am partial to the cherry pie, myself. Oh hell, I am partial to all. You will like them."

"How do we know which one is which?" she asked.

"Only when we cut it, that is the surprise," Owen said, laughing. He gave Cristina two pies, while he picked up two.

They headed back to the dining room and as they reached the doorway, Bea suddenly shouted, "Stop." Cristina and Owen stopped dead in their tracks. "What, Mom?" Owen said. "Is there more?"

"No, honey, just look up," she said. Owen and Cristina looked up and noticed that they were standing under the mistletoe. The thought flashed through both their minds at the same time. "Now you know what that means," Bea said. The four parents looked interestedly in their offspring's direction.

"Mom," Owen said, a little unsure. "Oh, come on, son," Bea said. "Don't be shy. Give the girl a little kiss."

Was Mr. Hunt really going to kiss her? The thought ran through Cristina's terrified mind. Owen gave her an enquiring look. He then put down his pies and took the pies from her and put those down, too. He took her face into his hands and kissed her.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your comments and reviews. I do appreciate when you take the time to leave a review.**


	13. Chapter 13 Christmas

Cristina really didn't think that he would kiss her but when she felt his lips on her own, she knew it was happening. She felt a strange tingle when he kissed her. She hadn't felt like that since Jacob. When they finally broke apart, she found that he was looking into her eyes with the softest, gentlest expression.

"See, that wasn't so bad," Bea said. "Let's have dessert, now. Bring those pies here, Owen. Let me cut them and let everyone have a slice." Owen handed his mother the pies. Cristina was not sure what to do. She took her seat at the table. She was certain her face was red because she knew she felt hot with embarrassment. She looked at her mother, who gave her a reassuring smile.

When Bea handed her a slice of pie, she mumbled, "Thank you." She absentmindedly started stabbing it with a fork. Owen took his seat across from her and tried to catch her eye but she found herself unable to look at him. She concentrated on the pie in front of her. Owen sighed, softly. He could tell that Cristina was embarrassed. She could not look at him in the face. He wondered if it was the right move to kiss her. He knew he could have laughed off his mother's request that they kiss. But he knew deep down inside, he wanted to kiss her. He wanted her to somehow feel what he felt for her. Now, he was afraid that he had driven her further away.

"So how is the pie, Cristina?" Bea asked. She had also observed the girl, just stabbing at the pie.

"Um, good," Cristina said. Bea responded, "I couldn't really tell because you didn't seem to be eating any of it." With that, Cristina shoved a forkful of cherry pie into her mouth and nodded to Bea. It actually was excellent. Mr. Hunt had been right about how great it was. "It is delicious, Mrs. Hunt," she said, as she proceeded to finish off the slice of pie on her plate. When she was through, she asked if she could be excused, unless they needed to help clear up after dinner.

"No, it is okay, Cristina. Owen will help us with that," Bea said. She too wondered if it was a mistake to force them to kiss. The girl seemed to be withdrawn after it. He looked at her son, watching the girl leave the dining room. He had the most wistful expression on his face. She felt sorry for him.

After dessert, Owen and Bea cleared up the dishes. The Yangs and Moe were having coffee in the living room. As they washed and dried the dishes, Bea felt the need to apologize. "I am sorry about that, son. About making you kiss her. I didn't think she would react that way."

"It's okay, mom. The reality is that I did want to kiss her," Owen said. "I wanted her to feel what I feel about her. I guess she doesn't feel the same way about me." Bea sympathetically patted him on the back.

"Owen, your dad and I see you with so many beautiful girls in the magazines and the newspapers. You're considered one of the most eligible bachelors in the country. Maybe, you should be with one of these girls, instead," Bea said. "I mean they clearly want to be with you."

"It doesn't work that way, mom," he said. "Yeah, I could be with any of these women and the truth is I probably have. Okay, I know that was hard for you to hear as well as for me to say it because talking about my love life with my mother is not up there with the things I like to do." He stopped wiping the plate and looked at his mother before he spoke again. "I don't feel the way about these women that I do with Cristina. It's just different."

"So do you still see any of these women, Owen? Maybe she sees you with them and probably wouldn't want to think of you in that way," Bea asked. "Maybe she thinks you are unavailable."

"Mom, other than one time in Sweden, when I went to Jesper's wedding, I have not been with another woman," he said. "Apparently, Jesper had told her about my activities and I think it may have colored her perspective. It didn't help my case that she had to help get the young lady on her way, the next morning. I felt so embarrassed about it, Mom. Since then, there has been no one else but I don't think she has even noticed." Bea shook her head.

"Then, there is the fact that I don't look anything like the guys she has dated," Owen said. He didn't know why he was telling his mother all of this but he just felt the need to air his frustration, about not being able to let Cristina know how he felt.

"You were telling me that, yesterday," Bea said. "But you are such a handsome boy. I can't imagine that she doesn't think that you're not."

"She likes dark-haired guys with a pretty boy look," he said. "I met an old boyfriend of hers and she seemed to be rather interested in Pablo Quinteras for a bit."

"Pablo Quinteras – he has nothing on you," Bea said. Nobody could be better than her boy. "Well, Owen, I know exactly what you have to do. You will just have to dye your hair black. Problem solved." Owen burst out laughing. So did his mom. She was glad she could make him laugh.

"Thanks, mom, I needed that," he said. He packed away the last of the plates and gave his mom a kiss. "I think I am going to head to bed, now."

Up in Owen's bedroom, Cristina lay on the bed, thinking about the kiss. The way he had held her face when he kissed her was so romantic. She touched her lips. She knew she had felt all tingly and warm. She had not felt that way with any man, since Jacob. She had dated other guys after Jacob but she hadn't felt that tingle with them. She knew she shouldn't feel that way about her boss, especially with the type of women he was usually with. She was not a model or an actress, just a small town girl. She was clearly not his type, she thought. She was deep in her thoughts, so she was a little startled when the door opened and Owen entered.

"Do you mind if I turn on the light?" he asked.

"No," she replied. "It is your room." He turned on the light and noted that she was wearing a very familiar t-shirt as her nightshirt. It was one of his old t-shirts. He thought it was a little sexy that she was wearing his clothes.

"Just going to the bathroom and I am going to get ready for bed. It is going to be a long day, tomorrow. Katie and her boys are coming over, tomorrow and they are quite a handful," he said. He disappeared into the bathroom and returned 20 minutes later, dressed in a t-shirt and pj bottoms. He turned off the light before he got in under the covers on the air mattress.

They both lay there in silence, until he finally spoke. He hated that they had this uneasiness between them. "Do you want to talk about it, Cristina?" he asked.

"We don't have to, Mr. Hunt. It is perfectly fine," she said. "We're okay."

"Alright," he said. "Well, good night, Cristina."

"Good night, Mr. Hunt," she answered. They both continued to stare at the ceiling, until they fell asleep.

* * *

Owen awoke the next morning to the muffled sounds that seemed to be emanating from the kitchen. It was clear that his mother was already hard at work, preparing for their Christmas luncheon. He rose up and looked across at the bed. Cristina was not there, so that probably meant that she was already up. He got up, used the bathroom and changed out of his pjs. He went to the kitchen and he was apparently the last to get there, since everyone else was present.

"Hey, lazy boo," his mom said. "You are finally up. It is all hands on deck today so we can get everything done for lunch. Cristina, honey, can you give Owen a cup of coffee?" Cristina got up, poured out a cup of coffee and made it the way that Owen liked. She handed him the cup. "Thank you," he said. "You're welcome," she answered. She gave him a big smile. He was surprised. What he didn't know was that Cristina had woken up that morning and decided to pretend that the kiss had never happened and they would continue as normal. She was also going to make it a rule not be standing under the mistletoe at any point in time.

After breakfast, everyone got to work, chopping, cooking and baking. Cristina was assigned setting up the two tables – the adults' table in the dining room and the children's table in the kitchen. The children's table was for Katie's four boys. She made both tables as festive as possible.

"Good job, Cristina," Bea told her, when she saw how pretty Cristina had made up the tables. "Thank you, Mrs. Hunt," she said. "Is there anything else I can do? "

"Yes, come make the gravy for the turkey," she said. "I will guide you." Owen watched as his mother taught Cristina how to make the gravy. He was happy that his mother seemed to really like Cristina.

At 11.30, there seemed to be a ruckus at the front door. "That's Katie and her boys." There were shouts of "Grandma" and "Grandpa", as four blonde little boys, ranging from age 5 to age 9, came into the kitchen and hugged their grandparents and Uncle Owen. Katie, Owen's sister was a tall blonde woman, followed by her brown-haired husband, Keith. She was a little surprised to see the Yang family there, especially in the oversized clothes that they were wearing. She recognized one of her old outfits on Cristina. The girl was clearly drowning in it.

Owen introduced them. "Katie and Keith, this is my assistant, Cristina and her parents, Burt and Helen Yang. They had come to get a Christmas tree, two days ago and their car broke down and they got stranded by the snow."

"Pleased to meet you," Katie said. She gave her husband a strange look. "Oops, I think we have a problem, mom. Keith's parents are with us. They are in the living room. They had come over to see the kids open their presents and then, we told them, we were coming across here for lunch and I invited them."

"Oh, dear," Bea said. "Since we don't have room for two more place settings on the dining room table, I will have to move Cristina and Owen to the kids' table." Katie started laughing, hysterically. "Oh, wow, my little brother, one of the world's top tennis players has been relegated to the kids' table."

"Oh, shut up, Katie," Owen said. Actually, he didn't mind being on the children's table with his nephews. The boys were actually a lot of fun. With his travels, it wasn't often that he got to spend time with them. It was even better that Cristina would also be with them at the table.

"Cristina, can you lay out two more settings on the children's table for you and Owen?" Bea asked. Cristina nodded. Katie noticed her brother watching the girl lay out the settings. It was such an adoring look that for a moment, she thought that Cristina was Owen's girlfriend but then she remembered that he had introduced Cristina as his assistant. She knew she had latched on to something juicy with which she could tease her younger brother, if she chose to do so.

When they were all seated for lunch, Owen introduced his young, blonde nephews to Cristina. "Starting from the oldest to the youngest, Adam, age 9, Brian, age 8, Colin, age 7 and Daniel, age 5." The boys all grinned at her.

"Wow, their names are ABCD," she said.

"Yup, they are," he replied. "My sister, Katie got married at 18, right out of high school to Keith. Had Adam, two years later. She kept having boys, so she decided to name them alphabetically. She almost thought that Daniel was going to be a girl."

"So will she try for a girl?" she asked. Owen shook his head. "Nope, she said that this is it for her. No more babies. She says that if mom wants a girl grandbaby, it will have to come from me."

"Well, maybe when you meet the right girl and settle down, sir, you will have a daughter," Cristina said, smiling at her boss. He blinked at her words.

"We don't want sisters," Colin said, solemnly. "If we had a sister, she would get all of the attention and she will be the youngest, so she will be spoiled rotten."

"I don't mind a girl," Brian said, with a sweet smile. "If she is pretty like you, Cristina."

"Aw, Brian, you know how to make a girl feel special," Cristina said. "Thank you so much."

"He's right, you know," Owen added. "You are very pretty." Cristina blushed. Getting a compliment from a little boy was alright but getting one from your boss felt flattering but a little strange.

"Thank you, sir," she said. "Why don't we all eat?" She dished out the food for the boys, so they wouldn't spill anything on their table. "What about me?" Owen teased. "Aren't I going to get that treatment?" Cristina wondered if he was being serious.

"You're too big for that, Uncle Owen," Daniel said. "That's only for little kids." Owen sighed, as he took out his own food.

Later, as Katie's family and her in-laws were leaving, she kissed her brother on the cheek and whispered, "She's lovely, Owen." He gave his sister an enquiring look before he answered, "Is it that obvious?" His sister smiled and nodded. "The boys all love her and so do you. You will win her over, eventually."

"Thanks for your vote of confidence, Katie," he said, as he hugged his sister goodbye. He looked across at Cristina, who was being hugged by four little boys at the same time. His family loved her. If only she would love him, he thought.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your comments. Thanks for taking the time to leave your reviews.**


	14. Chapter 14 New Year's plans

Owen woke up early, the day after Christmas. He sat up and stretched. He looked across at Cristina, who was still snuggled up under the covers in his bed. Her curly hair was spread across the pillows. She looked angelic and it made Owen smile. He got up, quietly, so as not to wake her. He used the bathroom and changed his clothes, before leaving the bedroom and heading out to the kitchen. The Yangs and the Hunts were already there, having their coffee and breakfast.

"Good thing you are up, son," Moe said. "I took an early drive out this morning to check the roads. Katie and her family were able to come through yesterday because they cleared the roads from the town but some of the roads heading in the other direction, were still not cleared. Fortunately, it looks like they did it this morning so we can get to the Yangs' car but we are not going to have to dig it out, so we need your manpower to help us with that."

"I am fine with doing that, Dad," Owen said. "So are you going to fix it, after we dig it out?"

"Yes," Moe said. "I will take my toolkit with us, when we go out there. So just have your breakfast and we are going to head out there. We need to get the Yangs back home, even though it has been a pleasure having them here for the holidays."

"Thank you but it is my family that should be thanking you," Burt said. "We would have been dead ducks out there, if you hadn't come for us."

Bea handed Owen a plate of hot pancakes. He poured the syrup over it, then took a bite out of the pancakes. He closed his eyes to appreciate its warm goodness.

"What about your roommate? Is she up as yet?" Bea asked. Owen shook his head. "No, she is still sleeping. She looks like an angel. It's hard to wake her up, when she looks like that."

Helen scoffed. "You may think that she looks like an angel but I am going to wake up that lazybones, when you all leave. As soon as you guys get the car fixed, we have to leave to get home. We have imposed on you, long enough. Hopefully, the roads will be cleared all the way into New Hampshire."

"Aw, Helen, we have loved having you all here," Bea said. "Nice to have another woman to talk to, since it would usually just be Moe, Owen and me, here. Sometimes, they don't want to talk about things the things that I like."

"Yes," Helen said. "It has been wonderful getting to know your family, especially since Cristina is working for Owen." The two women hugged. Owen was gratified their families were getting along but the only person who seemed not to be on the same page as everyone else was the sleeping beauty in his room, who still called him, "Mr. Hunt" and "sir."

"Okay, I am ready," Owen said, as he pushed away his now-empty plate.

"Good," Moe said. "Could you put three shovels out of the garage and into the truck?" Owen got up and went into the garage. Both Burt and Moe kissed their wives goodbye and headed out of the house. They watched the three men drive away in the truck.

"I think I better wake up my daughter," Helen said, as she headed to Owen's room. It was nice that they got to know the Yangs, Bea thought. If things worked out between Owen and Cristina, then they could even be family. That would be great, Bea thought. She knew her son was feeling the pull of getting married, settling down and having kids. She had waited a long time for this to happen. Owen never brought home anybody for them to meet. She knew that the day he did, it would be somebody special. Still, he really had not brought home Cristina in the normal way but no matter, Bea could see how much her son adored the girl. Bea silently washed the dishes, lost in her thoughts about her boy and the girl that he loved.

* * *

The men had found the car buried under a lot of snow. It didn't help that the snow plow had dumped more snow on the car, as it was clearing the roads. It was tough work but between the three of them, they managed to get the snow off the car. Then, they had to tackle the mechanical issues. Owen had confidence that his dad would be able to fix it. He was an ace mechanic and true to his reputation, Moe managed to fix the problem in 45 minutes. Burt thanked him, profusely for all of his help. Moe and Owen headed back to the farm in the truck, with Burt following them. When they got back to the farm, they found Cristina and Helen, eagerly awaiting their arrival.

"So we can go home, now. Hallelujah!" Cristina said. Then she realized she may have sounded a little too enthusiastic. The Hunts had been wonderful to them, while they were stranded. "I mean I am glad to go home but you guys have been so amazing to us," she said, a little apologetically.

"It's okay, honey. I know how you feel. Every time I go on holiday with Moe, after a few days, all I want to do is go home," Bea said. "There is nothing quite like sleeping in your own bed."

"Yes, you understand," Cristina said. "Even though because of all of the traveling I do for this job, that seems to be a lot less often."

"You have a bed," Owen said. "In your room at my estate. We are there when we are not traveling."

"That's true and it is a very comfy bed, too," Cristina said with a grin. "So, dad, are we leaving now?"

"I guess, honey," Burt said. "Thank you, Bea, Moe for being such wonderful hosts and saving us." He shook Moe's and Owen's hands and gave Bea a kiss on the cheek. Cristina and Helen hugged all three Hunts. As Cristina hugged Owen, he closed his eyes and breathed in the smell of her hair. He really didn't want it all to end. Then, he had a thought.

"Cristina, I forgot to tell you that I am going to a New Year's Eve ball at the Plaza Hotel in New York. Would you like to come along?" he asked.

"The Plaza Hotel? A ball? I don't have any fancy dresses to go to something like this," she said.

"Don't worry about that. I will make arrangements for you to get a dress," he said. "So are you game for it?"

"Okay," she said. "When should I get to New York and do I need to book hotel arrangements for us?" she asked, going back into personal assistant mode.

"No," he said. "I will make the arrangements. You don't have to worry about anything. You just show up at the hotel on December 31 at check in time. Your room will be ready and so will your dress. It is going to be my treat for being such a good personal assistant."

"Thank you, sir," she said. "I am looking forward to it." She had never gone to a ball in her life.

"Yes, there is nothing quite like New Year's Eve in New York City," he said. "Okay, I guess I should let you guys go."

The Yangs got in their car and waved, as they left. Cristina took a look back with a sunshiny smile. Owen hoped that smile was aimed at him.

"So New Year's Eve in New York?" Bea said, patting her son on his back. "Nice move, there." Moe chuckled, "Yes, that was very smooth, son."

"A guy has gotta do what he has to," he said, with a twinkle in his eyes.

* * *

Owen spent a couple more days at the farm before heading to New York City. He had to go up a little earlier to secure an evening dress for Cristina. His publicist directed him to where he should go because he did not have a clue on where to go. There, he was dazzled by an array of dresses and finally decided on a beautiful black dress. It would go well with her hair. He could just see it now. Of course, he had to call Jesper about figuring out Cristina's dress size. Jesper was a whiz at figuring out these things. After all, he often had to purchase gifts for the young ladies Owen was dating. He could imagine Jesper shaking his head on the other side of the world.

"The young lady is a size 2," Jesper said. "So you are going out to New Year's Eve party?"

"Yes," Owen said. "By the way, an early happy new year to you and Pia."

"Thank you very much. Same to you. We have some wonderful news, too. Pia is pregnant and we are going to have a baby. It is still early days but I thought I would tell you, since we are on the phone," Jesper said.

"Congratulations, Jesper, I am very happy for you," Owen said. He wondered about the time when he would be able to tell someone that he was going to be a father.

"Thank you, sir. I trust you and Cristina will have a wonderful time at the ball," Jesper said. The two men bade each other goodbye and hung up the phone.

* * *

Owen awaited Cristina's arrival on December 31 in the lobby. He was sitting in a couch, reading a newspaper when he saw the head of raven curls at the front desk. "Cristina," he called out. She looked around and he waved at her.

"Hi, Mr. Hunt," she said. "I just checked in."

"Okay," he said. "I just need you to take your suitcase upstairs. We have a lot of things to do before tonight's ball. I got you a dress but I wanted to make sure it fits, plus we need to get you a pair of shoes to go with the dress." Cristina was excited – a new dress and shoes.

"So will we get back in time so I could do my hair and make-up in my room?" she asked.

"Oh, someone is coming to do your hair and make-up at 6.30, so we have to just collect your dress and choose your shoes to get back in time," he told her. Her mouth dropped open. Someone was coming to do her hair and make-up. She could not believe it. "Wow," she said. "I feel like a movie star, getting ready for the Oscars. I am going to feel so pampered. Thank you, Mr. Hunt."

"Cristina, don't you think it is time that you start calling me Owen?" he asked. He really wanted her to say his name. He wanted to hear it rolling off her tongue.

"Jesper told me to call you Mr. Hunt," she said. "Is that a change in protocol? Jesper always called you Mr. Hunt and told me to do so." She was exasperating him with these questions. When was she going to realize that she was not Jesper?

"Just call me Owen, please. I would appreciate it," he said. She nodded. "Okay, I am going up to drop off my suitcase to my room, Mister…um, Owen. That will take a little getting to used to," she said. "I will be right back." As he watched her leave, he was happy because she finally said his name, even though it was a little uncertain.

With a quick trip to the boutique where they picked up her dress to the boutique, then to the shoe shop where she got a pair of silver Louboutins, courtesy of her generous boss. Then, it was back to the hotel where her make-up artist and hairstylist was already waiting. They whisked her away to her bedroom, where after a warm shower, they started working on her hair and make-up.

As he got dressed in his room, he was glad that men didn't have to worry as much about getting dressed up as women did. Nobody paid much attention to the men. All they needed was a good haircut and shave, clean nails, a well-fitted tuxedo and polished shoes. He was very excited because it was almost like a first date. They were going to have dinner first and then, dancing at the ballroom. He took a final look at himself in the mirror, as he fixed his jacket. He looked really good, if he could say that about himself.

He walked across to Cristina's suite, which was on the same floor as his. He had booked a suite for her, as he had done for himself. He knocked on the door and a man he did not recognize, opened the door. For a moment there, he almost thought that he had the wrong room.

"Mr. Hunt, I assume," the man said. "I am Pierre, the stylist. She isn't quite ready as yet. So could you go down to the lobby and wait for her, there? I promise I will have her down in 10 minutes."

"Alright," Owen said. "You all have quite a production going on in there?"

"Of course," Pierre said. "When a lady gets ready for a big night out, it is always a production on the scale of a Broadway show." Owen grinned. "I will see her downstairs," he said.

He took the elevator down and found a comfortable space on the couch. He picked up a magazine and found an article that was mildly interesting so he started reading. He was still engrossed when he heard his name in a soft voice, "Owen." He looked up and he almost stopped breathing at how beautiful she looked.

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**A/N Please leave your comments and reviews. Thanks for taking the time to do so.**


	15. Chapter 15 New Year's Eve

"Wow, Cristina, you look so beautiful," he said. The words came out like a caress. He drank in every inch of this vision of beauty. Her hair was up with a few loose tendrils, showcasing her lovely neck and face. The dress flowed beautifully on her body, highlighting her tiny waist.

"Thank you, Mr….Owen. I feel so amazing. I have never looked like this before in my life," she said. She spun around.

"Well, it is all worth it," he said. He got up from his seat and put out his arm for her to take. "First, we are going to have dinner and then we get to dance the last night of the year away." He took her to the giant ballroom, which had been separated into two areas – the dining tables and the dance area. The tables were set up in tables of six and therefore, they had to share their table with two other couples. They didn't really mind because with the other people, it seemed like more of a party. Owen was immediately recognized by the two ladies at their table.

"Owen Hunt!" one woman screamed. "I just love you." Her husband, Daniel looked at her in disgust. "Mallory, please. Don't embarrass yourself," he said.

"But he is Owen Hunt, that tennis player I keep going on about," Mallory said. She gave Owen a beaming smile.

The other woman, Hilary, could not speak on seeing Owen. She just smiled and was mute. Her husband, Paul, sighed.

"Pleased to meet you all. I am Owen Hunt and this is my date, Cristina Yang," Owen said, introducing himself and Cristina. She was confused – did Mr. Hunt actually say that it was a date? She thought this was just a treat for her as his personal assistant. He and Cristina shook hands with everyone.

"I am Paul Jordan and this silent person is my wife, Hilary," Paul said. "Very good to meet you."

"I am Mallory Kessler and this is my husband, Daniel," Mallory said, excitedly.

The ladies were all beautifully dressed, so Cristina was happy that Owen had decided to buy her this beautiful designer dress. She could never have afforded something so exquisite for herself. She felt like a princess. The waiter came by and took their drink orders. Owen ordered white wine for himself and Cristina. They could have the complimentary champagne at midnight. When the waiter brought back their drink orders, he told them that the buffet was open, whenever they were ready to dine. Cristina perked up immediately at the mention of food. Owen could see her eyes light up. He wondered if the people at the table were prepared to witness how much this very small person could put away in one sitting. It would be a rather incongruous sight, he knew.

At the buffet table, Cristina was mesmerized by the array of food in front of her. She wanted to try everything. As she began piling her plate, Owen whispered to her. "You can always come back for more." She nodded, as she realized that her plate was becoming overloaded. They both headed back to the table, where jaws were dropped open at the hefty helpings on Cristina's plate.

"Oh my God," Daniel said but he said it in admiration. He was so used to women, eating very little and he could appreciate a young woman with such a stupendous appetite. The ladies were overcome with envy. There they were, picking at their food, because they were so aware of how much they would have to work out to offset it. Cristina sat down, happily, and started sampling all that she had taken. Owen pretended not to notice the other folks' stares. They would be even more surprised when she cleared her plate, he chuckled to himself.

The food was delicious, Cristina surmised. She was pretty much oblivious to the stares of the other people at their table, as they greatly admired how much she put away into her tiny body. When she was done, Owen whispered, "Do you want anymore?" She shook her head. "Maybe, later," she told him. Then, he ordered some more white wine for the two of them.

After dinner was served, several party items were delivered to their table to ring in the new year, including party hats, horns and glasses. "For midnight," the waiter said. Cristina chose a red hat, a blue horn and yellow glasses. Owen wasn't too sure about the glasses but he took a black hat and a red horn. He tried it on. "You look good," Cristina told him. "What about me?" She put the red hat on her head. "Red is definitely your color," he said. They took off the hats. They would save that for later. Then, the band started to play one of Owen's favorite singers. He turned to her, "Do you want to dance?"

She smiled, shyly. "I am not very good."

"That's okay," he said. "I will lead and you will just follow." He led her on to the dance floor and rested one of her hands on his shoulder while he took her other hand into his. He then rested his hand on her waist. "Just follow me." There were a few awkward steps at first, and then, she got the hang of it and started following what he was doing.

"See, that's good," he said, smiling at her. "We make a great team. Now stop watching your feet and let your body just enjoy the movement." She looked up at him. "You are really good, Owen. You are an awesome dancer."

"I wasn't always like this. I took ballroom dancing lessons, when I realized women liked a guy who knew their way on the dance floor," he said.

"Well, maybe I should take lessons, too," she said. "It would be nice to dance all kinds of different dances."

"If you want, we could go together," he said. "But that could only happen when we are in New York. When we are traveling, it may not be possible."

"Yes, okay, I would like that, sir," she said, as she fell into her old habit of calling him "sir."

"Not sir," he reminded her. "Remember it is Owen, please."

"Oh, yes," she said. "Can I ask you something, Owen?" He nodded. "I noticed that you told the other couples at the table that this was a date. I thought it was just a treat for me as your personal assistant." Owen looked a little pained that she would ask this question.

"Of course it is because you are a brilliant personal assistant. I just didn't want to have to explain anything to these strangers. It was just easier to say that you were my date," he explained. But deep down inside, he really did want to treat it as their first date, even if she didn't think so.

As they continued to dance, she became even more comfortable in his arms that she put both of her arms around his neck, while he placed his hands around her small waist. He really liked this position. It showed how much she had relaxed enough to do that. They spent most of the night dancing, that is, until midnight, when a giant screen came down to show the ball being dropped in Times Square. Everyone started to count down, including Owen and Cristina, who had put on their New Year's hats and had their horns ready to toot. Then the crowd screamed, "Happy New Year" as the ball reached its final destination. As the band struck up, "Auld Lang Syne," all of the couples in the crowd started kissing each other, except Owen and Cristina. It felt kind of awkward, since they were the only ones not kissing. He badly wanted to kiss her, so he decided to ask.

"Cristina, can I kiss you?" he asked, softly. She wasn't sure. The last time they kissed, they were under the mistletoe. She looked up at his earnest blue eyes. "Okay," she said. He smiled, as he took her face into his hands and kissed her. It wasn't as chaste as the last kiss he gave her, where only their lips touched. This time, it was different, as he used his tongue to gently push open her lips. She was a little surprised because she hadn't really expected that. He was gratified when she accepted his tongue and began kissing him back. She hadn't realized she was doing it because she was getting that tingly feeling which she experienced the first time he had kissed her and it just felt so right to respond to his kisses. This kiss was a lot different. The tingles were amped up to the max. They only stopped kissing after the band had finished their song. When they finally broke off from the kiss, she was breathless.

"Let's have some champagne," he said. He poured out some champagne for her from the magnum bottle they had at the table. Then, after he poured out for himself, they clinked glasses. "Happy New Year, Cristina," he said. "Happy New Year, Owen," she replied. Though she tried to feel the way she normally did around him, she had to admit to herself that she felt a little strange, especially after that rather passionate kiss. No one had ever kissed her like that in her life, not even Jacob, who had been the major relationship in her life. Owen, on the other hand, was feeling rather good about the kiss, especially about the fact that she actually kissed him back.

After some more dancing, they finally decided to call it a night. They went up to their floor, where he dropped her off at her room. "Good night, Owen. It has been a wonderful evening. Thank you for treating me like a princess and taking me to the ball," she said, as she stepped into her room and closed the door. He was a little disappointed. He had thought that maybe, she would give him a good night kiss. He walked back to his room, feeling a little deflated.

Back in her room, Cristina stepped out of her beautiful evening gown and hung it up. She had never owned something as beautiful as that dress in her entire life. She was glad to get out of her stilettos. Bare feet on the carpet felt really good. She stripped and went into the shower. As the warm water streamed over her body, she reflected on the night's events, especially that kiss. She blushed when she thought about it. She had really enjoyed it and it had given her goosebumps. She chided herself that she shouldn't be feeling that way about her boss but she could not deny the tingly feeling she had, when he kissed her. "Oh, Cristina, don't do this to yourself. He is not interested in you. He is a ladies' man," she said aloud.

After her shower, she brushed her teeth and changed into her night shirt. She switched off the light and slipped under the covers of her bed. She was about to go to sleep when the phone rang. She picked it up. "Hello," she said, tentatively.

"Cristina, it's me," Owen said. "I forgot to tell you that we are heading back to the Hamptons, tomorrow and after that, we are going to take off for Florida. I am going to see my coach at the tennis academy I used to attend when I was a teenager. So, I would need for you to make arrangements for us to go to Boca Raton in about three days. Would you be able to do that?"

"Yes, Owen," she said. "I will see about it in the morning. Good night."

"Good night," he said. "Sleep tight. We will be leaving after breakfast, tomorrow." He hung up the phone. Alone in his bed, he had to chuckle. If she had been one of his model girlfriends, he knew he would not have been alone. The woman would have spent the night with him. But he knew he wanted something different. It wasn't going to be that easy but hopefully, tonight, he had made some inroads in that direction.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your reviews and comments. I do appreciate when you take the time to leave your comments. It helps when you know that people like your work.**


	16. Chapter 16 A Young Rival

Owen was reading the newspaper, while having brunch in the hotel restaurant on New Year's Day. It was about 10 a.m. and Cristina had not yet come down from her room. He wondered if he should give her a ring. He was about to call her when she appeared at the doorway of the restaurant. She spotted him and gave him a wave, as she made a beeline to his table.

"Good morning, Cristina, did you have a good night's rest?" he asked, with a smile. She nodded. "I slept later than I thought I would."

"There is something in the newspaper that I thought you would like to see," he said, turning to Page 6. He had seen it earlier and had to guffaw, loudly. The people at the next table were surprised at his loud chuckles, so he had to apologize. He handed her the newspaper. On that particular page, there was a round-up of all of the previous night's activities at some of the parties around the city.

"Look at the top right of the page," he said. She looked and there they were – both she and Mr. Hunt at the ball, last night. The picture of was of them dancing with her arms around his neck and his hands around her waist. She was resting her head against him and it looked like his lips were brushing against her forehead. Her mouth dropped open. She read the caption out aloud, "Top professional tennis player Owen Hunt with his lovely companion, Christina Yang enjoy the festivities at the Plaza's New Year's Eve ball."

"Your first name was spelled wrong," he noted. Her nose crinkled. She hated that they had spelled her name wrong. "Yes," she replied. "They put an 'h' in my name. How do you think that they found out my name? It's not like if anybody knows who I am."

"Oh, those photographers have ways of finding those things out. I imagine that they probably asked our dinner mates at the table," he said. He figured the next time that they were featured in the newspaper, their relationship would have progressed enough so that the photographers would know how to spell her name right for the captions.

"It's a buffet brunch this morning. So you can get whatever you want to eat. I will just order some more coffee for you," he said. She got up and went to the buffet table and he watched her piling food on to her plate. Every time he looked at her, he could not help but smile. He really adored this girl and all of her quirks. She was done at the buffet table and was headed back to their table. Her curly hair bounced in the air as she walked towards him. Adoration was too mild a word for what he felt for her. He realized at that moment that he was in love with her.

After brunch, they checked out of the hotel and the car service took them to his estate in the Hamptons. They got there, a little after 1 p.m. The housekeeper, Marguerite, greeted them at the door. "Good day, Mr. Hunt. Hello, Cristina, so happy to see you back." Cristina gave the housekeeper a big hug. "I have a present for you, Marguerite." She turned to Owen, "I also have one for you, too. It is in my bedroom. I hadn't really expected to see you over the holidays so I had left it here, until I came back to work."

"Well, I had thought the same thing, so I had left your Christmas present here, too," he said. "It's in my bedroom."

"Well, it is only New Year's Day," Marguerite said. "So it is still the holidays. So we can exchange our presents today. I have lunch ready if anyone is hungry."

"Starving," Cristina said, enthusiastically. Owen had to smile because he knew Cristina had just eaten a large brunch, a couple of hours ago. "So let's go and get our presents and exchange them over lunch," he suggested. Cristina and Owen headed to their respective rooms, where they dropped off their luggage. Owen took out Cristina's and Marguerite's presents from his closet. He headed down to the kitchen, where Marguerite would have set up their lunch.

Owen gave Marguerite a kiss and handed her a present. "Here you go, Marguerite. Happy holidays." He kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you so much, Mr. Hunt," she said. Cristina came bouncing into the kitchen. She also handed Marguerite a present. "Thank you, Cristina."

"You are welcome," Cristina said. "Thank you for feeding me, knowing full well how much I like food."

Cristina and Owen sat at the table and they each handed the other a present. "Open yours first," he said. She did and was totally shocked when she saw what was inside. From the distinctive interlocked C logo, she knew exactly that she got a Chanel handbag. Not one handbag, but two. Owen felt exhilarated when he saw the look on her face.

"I got that when we were in Paris. One is a day bag and the other one, you can use for night, when we go to evening functions," he said.

"Thank you, thank you," she screamed, as she came over to his side of the table and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "They are beautiful."

"I am so pleased that you like them," he said. "Now what did you get me?" He pulled out a watch. It wasn't the most expensive watch, he knew, because she couldn't afford that. Still, it was a very lovely watch and he loved it more because it was from her.

"Thank you, Cristina," he said. "It's beautiful. I will wear it proudly." He took off his Rolex and was about to put on her watch. "I also had it engraved," she said. He turned around the watch and read the engraving. " 'To Owen Hunt, the best boss. From Cristina.' Thank you, Cristina. That makes it even more special." He gently touched her on her cheek and gave her an adoring look. Marguerite noticed the gesture, immediately. Had something changed between her boss and his personal assistant? She had never seen Mr. Hunt treat anyone else like that, with such gentleness and….and….and….love. That was it, Marguerite thought. He was treating her with love. The realization hit Marguerite like a ton of bricks. "Wow," she thought to herself. "Mr. Hunt is in love." She looked at the young girl's face. There did not seem to be any recognition on the girl's part that she knew that her boss was in love with her. Marguerite shook her head. She had seen her boss with many young women on his arm but he had never been that way with any of them. She felt a bit sorry for her boss.

* * *

A couple of days later, they were headed to Boca Raton in Florida. Owen was going to see his coach, Bill Keller, who had trained him since he was a 12 year old boy. From the age of 12 to 18, Owen had spent his years at the academy, honing his craft, while attending school. When he was 18, Bill had got an older player to take Owen under his wing on the senior professional circuit. Bill always knew that Owen was going to be the top player in the world and he was extremely proud that he was the one who coached him. He was still his coach but he didn't travel with Owen. He was only there for the really big tournaments like the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. During the year, he would watch Owen's other tournaments and would offer criticism and correction of his swing, via phone or Skype. Owen was headed to Boca Raton to get his swing back in action for the new year. He had not picked up a tennis racquet since before Thanksgiving and had given himself the holidays off, so he was a little bit rusty.

After checking into their hotel, they headed to the Bill Keller Tennis Academy. Owen was treated like royalty there, Cristina noted. They went straight into Bill's office, where the coach and his player hugged.

"So good to see you, Owen," Bill said, slapping Owen on the back. "Same here, Bill," Owen said. Bill noticed Cristina hanging back. "And who is this lovely little lady?" Bill asked.

"This is my personal assistant, Cristina Yang," Owen said, proudly. He pulled her forward and she shook hands with Bill.

"What the heck happened to Jesper?" Bill asked.

"Jesper? He abandoned me to get married and went back to Sweden. Cristina has been with me, since after the US Open," Owen said.

"Well, she sure is a fine improvement on Jesper in the looks department," Bill said, with a grin. "That she is," Owen agreed. Cristina blushed at the compliments.

"So you're here for your usual tune-up, son?" Bill asked. Owen nodded. "Getting ready for the new year of competition. Got to get back in the groove. Looking forward to a great new year," he said.

"Actually, I am quite glad you are here, Owen. There is someone I would like you to meet," Bill said. "Let's just go down to the courts." The two men left the office, still chatting, with Cristina following behind them.

When they got to the courts, Owen observed a young man with dark, wavy hair, demolishing his opponent on the court. Inwardly, Owen groaned. This was exactly the physical type that Cristina liked. He looked at her face. She was smiling and he was not too pleased when she said, "He looks like a young Matt Bomer." Owen knew exactly who Matt Bomer was – some television actor with dark hair and a pretty boy face.

"That is my young protégé – Dominic Chastain," Bill said. "He is 19 years old and this year, he is turning professional. He has been burning it up in the junior circuit. I think he is ready for the big boys, now. Have you heard about him?"

"Yes," Owen admitted. "I heard that he was going to be an up and comer."

"Well, this is why I want to talk to you. Remember when Walter Pruitt took you under his wing when you turned professional. I want you to do the same for Dominic," Bill said. He suddenly shouted for the young man, "Dominic, I want you to meet Owen Hunt."

Dominic stopped playing and came over, immediately. "I am so honored to meet you, Mr. Hunt," he said, shaking Owen's hand, enthusiastically. "You are my favorite player. I knew I had to come to Bill to coach me because he's your coach and he taught you to be the best."

"Why, thank you, Dominic," Owen said. "I hear you have been doing well on the junior circuit. Bill has a lot of faith in you."

"Well, if Bill says I am ready, then I guess I am ready," Dominic said with a grin. He then noticed Cristina sitting on a bench near the court. "Who's that?" Owen looked around and followed the young man's gaze. He was definitely looking at Cristina.

"That is Owen's personal assistant, Cristina Yang," Bill replied. "Pretty girl, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is," Dominic said. "I think I am going to introduce myself. Excuse me, gentlemen." He then left the court and headed straight to Cristina.

"Are you sure he is ready?" Owen asked, gritting his teeth as he saw the young man, chatting up Cristina. "He seems to be easily distracted by the presence of a pretty girl."

"It is just the age, Owen. He is 19 and very interested in girls. I remember you were the same way," Bill said. "Remember Walter had to get you to concentrate on the game and not on the girls. So, what do you say, Owen? Take him under your wing, show him the ropes?"

"Okay," Owen said. He couldn't refuse Bill after all what the coach had done for him, since he was a boy. He noticed that Dominic was giving Cristina his phone number and she was putting it into her phone. He didn't mind helping the boy get his feet wet on the senior circuit but he also wanted to make the young man aware of where his attention was not welcome.

"Isn't that sweet?" Bill said, eyeing Cristina and Dominic together. "That could be start of a budding new relationship. Young love is so precious."

Owen was disturbed at Bill's statement. "Not if I can help it," he thought, bitterly. The young man needed to know his boundaries when it came to Cristina. Owen needed to sit him down for a serious discussion. That was the only way he knew that he and Dominic could work together.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your reviews and comments. Thanks for being kind enough to leave your thoughts. Happy New Year! Here is hoping for a brilliant 2013.**

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	17. Chapter 17 Interesting conversations

Owen and his coach, Bill, were working arduously to get his swing back in shape to face the year of competition. Not that it needed much work but just a few tweaks here and there and he would be ready.

Owen got up very early, every morning and did an exercise workout in the tennis academy's gym, before working with Bill on the courts. Cristina, on the other hand, continued to work as normal, doing whatever Owen required. She had received a schedule of where Owen was supposed to be competing over the next two months, so she had worked out hotel and airline reservations and ground transportation needs. There were also party invitations that she had to RSVP, too, at every tournament. He had told her that she should RSVP for two, since she would be accompanying him to the parties.

The big championship in January was the Australian Open. That's where they were going to head next in a couple of days to Melbourne. Dominic was going ahead to Melbourne before Owen and Cristina, since he was going to through qualifying. Owen did not need to do that as one of the world's top players, so he would be going a little later.

On a typical day, Owen usually had lunch with Cristina and she would brief him about all the arrangements that she had made for him. One day, after they had lunch, she asked if he would need her for the rest of the day.

"No," he said. "I think I will be okay. Why?" Cristina was gathering up her things, when she answered. "Well, it is Dominic's last day here. He is leaving early tomorrow morning for Melbourne, so he wanted to show me some of the places in Boca."

Owen countered, immediately. "Cristina, if you wanted to see anything in Boca, I can take you. After all, I did live here for six years during my misguided teenaged youth."

Cristina answered, "I know that, Owen, but it is Dominic's last day here in Boca. I guess he just wanted to hang out for a bit. That's all. I don't think we are going to be out too late. I will meet you here and then we can go back to the hotel for dinner. You can also give me a call, if you really, really need me. But hopefully, you won't. Goodbye." He watched her walk away and then joined by Dominic, as they left the eating area. He felt disgruntled.

"Hey, Owen," Bill said, coming up to him. "I see Dominic has found himself a new friend." Owen clenched his fists under the table. He really needed to have that talk with that boy.

"Bill, can you tell me a little more about Dominic's background?" Owen asked.

"Well, he is a feisty and tenacious competitor. He doesn't give up that easily. I guess it comes from his background. His family is definitely lower income but his dad worked at the country club, so he used to bring his son along. The tennis pro there noticed the boy's aptitude for the game, especially since he was beating everybody at the club. Here was this little kid with a racquet that was too big for him and he was beating all of the grown-ups. The pro took him under his wing and taught him all that he knew. When he was 12, he was referred to me and when I saw this kid play, it reminded me of you at that age. Well, the rest is history. He came here and is probably one of the finest players I will have ever produced," Bill said. Inwardly, Owen groaned. Dominic's competitive spirit would mean that he was not going to give up on Cristina, that easily. Still, Owen was not interested in any young pup, sniffing around his girl. Well, she really wasn't his girl but if he had his way, she was going to be.

* * *

Later that evening, around 6 p.m., Cristina came back to the academy. "Did you have a good time?" Owen asked her. "It was fine," she said. "Boca really caters to the affluent. Felt like if I was in a resort town. Are you ready to go back to the hotel?"

"I am just going to have a word with Dominic, since we are probably not going to see him, before he leaves tomorrow," Owen said. "Where is he?"

"I think he is in his room," Cristina said. "I will wait for you in the lobby." Owen found his way to the students' dormitories and knocked on Dominic's door. Dominic shouted, "Come in." Owen opened the door to find Dominic, packing his suitcase.

"Oh, hi, Owen," Dominic said, with a huge grin. "I am very excited about going to Melbourne." He threw a couple of pants into his suitcase.

"I can see that. I hope you do well, Dominic. Bill would be very proud of you, if you do," Owen said.

"So when are you and Cristina going to make it to Melbourne?" Dominic asked, his blue eyes lighting up when he thought about Cristina.

"We're leaving in a couple of days after you, so we will see you there," Owen said.

"She is a great girl," Dominic said. "So pretty and so much fun. And that hair! Isn't that the greatest head of hair you've ever seen in your life?"

"Yes, she is very pretty and does have an amazing head of hair," Owen said. "I wanted to talk to you about Cristina before you get in too deep."

"What?" Dominic looked at Owen, a little bit puzzled. "What do you mean if I get in too deep? What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't want you to get hurt with Cristina," Owen said. Blue eyes surveyed blue eyes.

"I won't get hurt," Dominic said. Clearly, Dominic needed a stronger warning but this was so awkward, Owen thought. He might as well just come out and say that he didn't want Dominic hanging around Cristina, anymore.

"Dominic, Cristina is my assistant and I really don't want her to be fraternizing with the tennis players on the circuit," Owen said. It was partly true that he didn't want her to be going out with any of the other players but it wasn't just because she was his employee.

"I can't believe that you are trying to dictate whom she sees," Dominic said, shaking his head. "So because she is your assistant, she can't have a social life? That seems a little odd. She is your employee, not your girlfriend."

"I would prefer Cristina to be off-limits to you," Owen said. He knew that he wasn't doing a good job of articulating what he was feeling because there was only so much he could actually say. Dominic finally got what Owen was trying to say.

"Oh, my God, you want her for yourself," he said, loudly. Owen went silent for a bit, before he finally spoke. "If we are to work together, Dominic, then I would appreciate that you do not attempt to date her."

Dominic shook his head, again. "If you are coming to me with this, then I can surmise that the two of you are not a couple. If you were, then she would have told me to buzz off," he said. "So if you are not a couple, then that means that Cristina is a free agent and can date whomever she wants." He continued, "I respect you very much, Owen but shouldn't you just let Cristina choose whom she wants to be with?"

Owen knew that Dominic was right. It was really her choice. He could not make her want to be with him. She would have to decide that for herself. Maybe it was time for him to actually say something to her. It was clear that Dominic was not going to back down on this issue. There was no way that Owen was going to lose her to this young upstart.

"Well, it has been an enlightening conversation, Dominic," Owen said. "Have a good trip. I hope you make it through qualifying." He quickly left Dominic's room and went in search of Cristina. He found her waiting for him in the reception lobby.

"Good, we can go, now," she said, when she saw him. "I am tired. I just want to have dinner and then, collapse in my bed." He smiled at her and she smiled back. "Cristina, I would like to have a talk with you over dinner." The smile was wiped from her face. She became a little anxious.

"Have I done something wrong, Owen?" she asked. She racked her brain, trying to think of anything she may have screwed up. "No, no, nothing like that," he said. "I just need to talk to you. So let's just go back to the hotel."

* * *

An hour later, they met up in the restaurant at their hotel. Owen was there, first and he took the liberty of ordering for the both of them, since he knew what she liked. Cristina was nervous; she couldn't possibly think why he needed to have some big discussion with her. She saw him, seated in an intimate corner of the restaurant. That was not their usual spot. She came across to him with a tentative smile.

"Hi, Owen," she said. "Nice table." He nodded. "Yes, I asked for this one. It is a little away from all of the diners. I ordered the shrimp and scallops for you. Is that okay?" he asked.

"Yup," she said. He knew she was making her way through the seafood menu at the restaurant. She was often surprised how much he knew about her.

The waiter brought their food for them and Cristina was delighted by her shrimp and scallops entrée. She took one bite and closed her eyes at its delicious goodness. "Awesome," she said. She opened her eyes and smiled at him.

"So, Owen, you said you wanted to talk," she said. "You can start, if you wish." Owen had thought it out in his brain but it seemed all the words had suddenly left him and he was fumbling at what to say. Here he was, this supposed ladies' man, and this one girl made him feel like a bumbling fool.

"Um, um, it is with regards to Dominic," he started, tentatively. Cristina gave him a quizzical look. "Dominic?" she repeated. "What about him?"

"Well, you did go out with him today," Owen said. "I was just wondering if you were interested in him. I did have a chat with him and it seems that he would like to think of you in that manner. Given that I am supposed to mentor him out in the circuit, I was just wondering if it will affect his concentration." Yeah, Owen thought, that sounded like plausible reasoning. He knew he was floundering here. He didn't want to seem too obvious.

"Interested?" she replied. "He is a nice guy, good-looking and fun to be with. If you are asking if I want to date him, then I haven't really thought about it."

"So you would date him?" Owen asked. Cristina suddenly looked pained. "Um," she said. "You know that he is only 19 years old, Owen." Owen blinked. "Yes?" he said, a little unsure about where she was going with this.

"He is too young for me," she said. "We're coming from a different space in our lives. He is a little too childish in some ways. He is a little kid. He is kinda like a little brother." Owen had to smile that 21-year-old Cristina thought that 19-year-old Dominic was too young for her. He found it very funny, especially since people kept pointing out the fact that they thought Cristina was too young for him. He was also pleased to find out that Dominic was deluded into thinking that Cristina would actually date him.

"Besides," she said. "I am starting to like somebody else." All of Owen's senses went on full alert. He was shocked. Who was she talking about? The words were hard to come out. "Is it anybody I know?" he asked, quietly.

"Maybe," she said, teasingly. He knew that was all she was going to share and it was driving him crazy. Who was she talking about? He didn't know whether he should be happy or sad. Was it him that she liked? In that case, he would be so overjoyed. If it wasn't him, he would be so devastated. Still, she was not budging on revealing anything. He spent the rest of the evening in an uneasy state.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your comments and reviews. I do appreciate when you take the time to do so.**


	18. Chapter 18 Australian Open

They headed to Australia, a couple of days later. They got word that Dominic had made it through as a qualifier. Bill was very pleased and would be accompanying Owen and Cristina to Melbourne. He always went to the big championships. Now, he not only had Owen in the championship but also Dominic.

Since they had a few days before they left, Owen took Cristina around Boca and showed her all of the places he used to visit as a teenager. She loved the beach, the most. As a girl from New Hampshire, she didn't get to see the beach often. He loved when she ran barefoot down the beach. She was like a little kid. She turned around and gave him the happiest smile ever.

When they got to Melbourne, they checked in to their hotel. There was going to be a social event to start the championship, so Owen and Cristina went to the function. While Owen mingled with the other players and their dates, Cristina hung out with some of the personal assistants. She was sitting with two other personal assistants – Charlie, who was English and Vernon, who was Australian. He examined the two young men, closely. Could she be interested in any of these guys? Neither of them appeared to be Cristina's physical type. But then again, neither was he, he had to remind himself. Who was this guy she told him that she had liked?

"Hey, your boss is looking across this way," Charlie said, noting Owen's gaze to their corner. "Yeah, he does that a lot," she said. "He usually wants to make sure that I am okay by myself. But since I am with you guys, he needn't worry."

Vernon chortled. "He should worry. Charlie and I are noted for being pranksters," he said, with a grin. Cristina gave him a stern look. "You are not going to play any pranks on me, Vernon Barker." She gave him a small smack on the arm. "Stop being so violent, woman," Vernon said. "I was just joking. In any case, your boss is more concerned about you than either of our bosses. Ain't that right, Charlie? My boss has not even given me a second glance for the evening. We just came in, together and then, we went our separate ways. Look at him, now, laughing it up with the hot female guests."

"Maybe it is because you are a girl," Charlie said. "They think us guys can fend for ourselves. Come to think of it, when Jesper worked for him, he never paid him much mind during events like this. When you showed up as his assistant, we were very much surprised. We thought that Jesper would have been replaced by another guy, when he left. Most of the male players tend to have male personal assistants."

"Despite the fact that I am a female," Cristina said, defensively. "I am very competent and I do a very good job. I haven't had much complaint from Owen about my performance."

"You call him Owen?" Vernon laughed. "We don't call our bosses by their first names. It is always 'sir' or 'Mr. So-and-So.' Never by their first names. We know our places."

"As far as I can remember, Jesper never called him by his first name," Charlie recalled. "Hmmm," both men said at the same time, giving her an inquiring look.

"He told me to call him Owen," Cristina said. She didn't know why she should be defending herself in this matter.

"Aw, don't worry about it, Cristina. We are just messing with you," Vernon said. "Let's just get you another drink." He called across a waiter, who brought them glasses of white wine. He handed her a glass. "They make us come to these things," he said. "So let's just have a good time. More than likely, I would have to get some doe-eyed honey out of my employer's bed, tomorrow. I deserve to have a good time. "

When Vernon made that remark, it reminded Cristina that it had been a long time, since she had been forced to handle such an event. The last time was the morning after Jesper's wedding and since then, there had been no other women. Jesper had led her to believe that this was a frequent occurrence because Owen was a noted ladies' man but it seemed that it wasn't happening anymore. Was there a reason?

She knew that she was probably closer to her boss than some of these other personal assistants, noting that none of them had ever kissed their employer like she had. And she had kissed him twice, not just once. Plus he even used tongue on her on New Year's Eve. She had decided to think nothing of the kisses because he had been with so many women. She thought those kisses were just the normal way he dealt with individuals of the female gender. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe those kisses meant something.

She knew she had a tiny crush on her boss. Hell, it was a huge crush but she had tried to put a damper on it as much as she could. When they were in Boca at dinner, she had told him that she liked someone. She never revealed that it was him that she liked. What good would it do to tell him this? He was her boss and it didn't seem right that she should feel that way about her employer, especially since they were always in close proximity to each other for many hours of the day. It would just make things awkward between them, especially since he probably didn't feel the same way about her.

After the function, she and Owen went back to their respective hotel rooms. "I hope you had a good night with your friends at the party." He was trying to gauge if she had any designs on these young men. "Charlie and Vernon are my buddies," she said. "So we had a bunch of laughs." He smiled. She was not interested in either of these young men in a romantic way. "Well, good night, Cristina," he said, as she stepped off the elevator to her floor. "Good night, Owen. I will see you in the morning for breakfast." He held the elevator until she got to her door. She noted that he always did that, if he was alone in the elevator, to make sure she got to her room, safely. That was very gentlemanly of him, she thought, and she really liked that.

* * *

The next few days were very busy ones for the two of them, as he was getting through the first few rounds of the tournament. Bill, his coach, divvied up his time between Owen and Dominic, attending all of their matches, so far. Surprisingly, Dominic made it to the round of quarter finals. This was a very good showing for him, especially as it was his first major championship. However, he was up against Owen in the round of eight. Bill's loyalties were divided. He wanted Dominic to do well but he knew that Owen was a formidable opponent.

Bill and Cristina sat together in the stands. During the warm-up, Dominic was showing off, doing tricks. He was clearly doing them for Cristina's benefit. He gave her a wave but he stopped when he saw the stern look on Bill's face. "Focus, boy," Bill mouthed to him. He muttered something about youth being distracted by girls but Cristina did not hear what he said, too clearly.

"So I know I am rooting for my boss because he pays my salary, even though Dominic is my friend," Cristina said. "What about you?"

"That is a hard, hard question, little lady," Bill said. "I coached the both of them, from since they were young boys. My heart is with Dominic because it would mean so much to him but my head tells me that Owen's experience will not be beaten today. Even if Dominic loses today, this was a tremendous debut for him. I am happy about that."

The match turned out to be a nail-biter with Dominic taking Owen to the full five sets. Even Owen was surprised at that. He had been hoping that it would have been a three-set blowout but it seemed that Dominic was a tenacious lad. Owen won the first set, easily but Dominic fought back to take the second and the third. People were starting to think that it was going to be an upset of great magnitude. But Owen fought back in the fourth set to take it. In the fifth set, Dominic put up a valiant effort but finally fell 5-7 to Owen. Dominic looked dejected but as he went to shake Owen's hand at the end of the match, Owen told him, "Look up, son. Everyone is applauding you. Acknowledge them. You did a fantastic job." Dominic looked up at the stands to see that everyone was giving them a standing ovation. Cristina and Bill, too, were standing and cheering. He waved at the crowd. "Someday, you are probably going to beat me," Owen told Dominic, as he patted the boy on his back. "It wasn't today but someday. You are really good, kid."

Cristina waited for Owen outside of the locker room, after he finished dealing with the press and taking a shower. He had changed from his tennis clothes and into a shirt and jeans. "Good win, Owen," Cristina told him. "It was one of the best matches I have ever seen. Dominic is awesome." Then, she added. "But not as awesome as you."

"Thank you, Cristina," Owen said, bestowing her with a grateful smile. "Let's just head back to the hotel and get something to eat. Then, we can go out for a bit and see the city."

"I would like that," she said. Even though they were in the midst of an important championship, he still found the time to go see the city with her, since he knew that was what she enjoyed the most about the traveling. He really was such a kind and generous man, she thought, as they headed out of the stadium.

* * *

The next match was just as intense as it was another five-set match in the semi-finals against Aussie Damian Johnson. Owen knew that the crowd would be partisan and rooting for their homeboy. But in the end, Owen was triumphant. His finals opponent was a familiar one – Pablo Quinteras. He knew it was going to be a tough match. It was probably going to be another five-set match. He was tired from his matches against Dominic and Johnson. Quinteras had an easier road to the finals and only was stretched to a four-setter, so he was fresher and had less fatigued legs. Before the match started, he looked up at Cristina and she waved and gave him a happy grin. "I am going to win this for you," he whispered. And he did. It wasn't easy. There were tiebreakers, many broken serves, aces and faults. But in the end, he prevailed. When he hoisted that trophy, he looked out for her, cheering and clapping for him. Of all of the people at match, hers was the only applause he needed. When he sent the most loving of smiles towards her, Cristina didn't know what it was but she realized in that instant, the smile was only for her. She just felt loved. She blushed in that moment of clarity.

After he did his press interviews and took a shower in the locker room, Owen and Cristina headed back to the hotel. He had lots of things to carry, including his newly acquired trophy. Cristina said she would help him with his stuff to his room. They got to his room and she put down his bag and she was about to leave. She turned around. "I know I told you congratulations before but I think this is the best way to congratulate you." She came up to him and took his face into her hands and kissed him gently on the lips. He was surprised, but he immediately responded, deepening the kiss and pushing apart her lips so she could accept his tongue. It was like they couldn't stop kissing each other. She found herself pulling him towards the bed. Even as they fell on the bed together, they continued to kiss. Her small hands were under his t-shirt, caressing the hardened muscles of his stomach and chest. As he felt her hands under there, he suddenly stopped. As much as he desired her and wanted her, he needed to know. "Are you sure?" he whispered. "Is this what you want?"

* * *

**A/N Please leave your reviews and comments. Thanks for taking the time to do so. I do appreciate it.**


	19. Chapter 19 How We Feel

"Are you sure?" Owen repeated. Then, something happened that he did not expect. Her expression changed to one of uncertainty and embarrassment, as she got up from the bed and suddenly bolted from the room.

"Cristina!" he shouted after her but she had already slammed the door and was gone. What had just happened? There they were, with things finally going in the right direction. He just wanted her to be sure about taking this next step because once they did it, it would change the nature of their relationship. The girl was extremely skittish, he thought. He fixed his clothes before he left the room and went down a couple of floors via the elevator to where Cristina's room was.

After escaping from Owen's room, Cristina had gone back to her room and thrown herself on the bed. Her face was hot with shame. She had read it all wrong. She knew that she didn't have much experience dealing with men. Jacob had been her one and only major relationship. She had dated other guys but none would be considered a relationship. She knew Owen was very worldly and had been in many relationships with a lot of different women. That was so opposite to her own experience. Jacob had been the only boy she had ever slept with. Her mom had told her that she should only sleep with someone, once she knew that she felt something for them. That way, it would make it special for the two of them.

Now, she had taken this step because she knew that she felt something for Owen and she thought that maybe, he would have been feeling something for her. Maybe that look he gave her, when he smiled at her, was nothing. Oh, how could she have been so stupid, she thought. He probably thought that she was some foolish, lovesick little girl.

Then, there was the knock on the door. "Cristina, are you in there?" Owen said. "Could you open this door, please?" She stayed quiet, hoping that he would go away. She didn't really want to face him, at this moment.

"Cristina," he called out again. "I know you are in there. There is nowhere else you could go." What did he mean there was nowhere else she could go? She could have gone down to the pool or to the spa. Why was he being so presumptuous, she thought.

"Cristina, please open this door. If you don't open this door, I am going to go down to the front desk and have them give me a key. There is no way they won't give it to me, given that I am paying for this room," he said. She reluctantly got up from the bed and opened the door. He came in and closed the door behind him. He looked around the room. It was a nice enough room but it was not as luxurious as his suite on the higher floor.

She sat on the edge of the bed. "Glad you finally came to your senses and opened the door for me," he said. He put his hands on his hips. "Okay, there are a couple of things I would like to say to you. So are you prepared to listen?" She nodded.

"Let me just state for the record, I really liked you coming on to me, just now. I didn't really expect it. It was indeed a pleasant surprise and I was really enjoying it. What I didn't enjoy was you bolting out of the room and leaving me high and dry, wondering what the heck had just happened," he said, starting to pace.

"So let's get back to what made you bolt. It had to do with my question about whether you were sure about what you were doing. Now, the reason that I asked that question is that the two of us making love will irrevocably change our relationship. We will no longer be employer and employee; we would be something more. Once we do this, we would be in a different kind of relationship – the one that has feelings and emotions," he said. "The thing is I do want that kind of relationship with you." She looked a little bit shocked.

"I see that you are surprised by that. I have been feeling this way for quite a while. I don't want this experience to be a one-time thing, with you just conveniently forgetting about it, the same way you conveniently forgot about the fact that I kissed you twice," he said. He gave her a stare-down.

"I didn't forget that you kissed me," she said, softly.

"Really? Not the way you acted. You were all cool about it and you didn't want to talk about it, the first time. The second time, you just pretended it never happened. I am sorry but that hurt my feelings a little bit," he said.

"I thought that the kisses didn't mean anything to you," she said. "Jesper told me that you had a lot of girlfriends and I just assumed that was the way you were with the opposite sex."

"Ah, Jesper again. Do you take everything that Jesper told you as gospel?" he asked. "Jesper does not know everything." He threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Well, he did train me," she said, with a grin. "He is a good teacher. He even told me how to take care of the women you sleep with, the next morning."

"Ah, so that's it. You have this preconceived notion of me because of that, don't you? Other than one time after Jesper's wedding, have you had to handle any other women?" he said. "Not that I really want to discuss my former sex life with you but I really want to make a point, here."

"No," she said. "That's true. There hasn't been anyone else. Why is that?"

"Because of you. I was so ashamed that I slipped up that one time. That I vowed never to do it, again. And the only reason I did it is because you were hanging out with Axel and his gang and you were ignoring me at the reception," he said. "I just wanted some attention."

"I wasn't ignoring you. Jesper put me at a different table and I figured I had to be nice to these folks," she said.

"Yeah, yeah. Jesper told me he wanted to put you at the table with the young people. And that's another thing, people keep mentioning how young you are and it bothers me. Do you think I am too old for you? I am only five years older, yet they make me out to be some ancient guy," he said, shaking his head.

"No, you are not too old for me. I guess it is because our life experiences are so different. You have been on your own, since you were 18. I am just starting. I have only had one major relationship in my life. You have been with lots of women," she said. "It is just different."

"To be honest, Cristina, while it is true that I have been with a lot of women, none of those was a relationship. They were just casual. No real feeling behind them. That's why it is different with you," he said. "I, Owen Hunt, have lots of feelings when it comes to you. There, I said it. I am opening up my heart to you, Cristina Yang. And I am hoping that you aren't going to stomp on it." He let out a big breath. He stopped, waiting for her to say something.

"Um, um. Remember the time that I told you that I liked someone," she said. "Well, it was you." He smiled. "You like me," he said. "That's a relief that I am that person."

She continued, "As for today, the reason that I kissed you was that I thought I saw something during the trophy ceremony, today. You smiled in my direction and I felt that you were smiling only at me. In that moment, I thought that you loved me. Maybe that was stupid."

"You weren't wrong," he responded. "I was smiling only at you." She grinned. "Well, that is good to know because I was feeling really embarrassed, since I came on to you and when you asked me that question about whether I was sure, I thought that maybe I was wrong. I don't have that much experience with men," she replied.

"Okay," he said, as he sat down next to her. "So we have established that we both have feelings for each other." She nodded. "And that is a really good thing," he added. "But the issue still remains. If we decide to make that step, it really changes our current working relationship. It won't be just a working relationship but also a romantic one and we have to learn how to navigate our professional working relationship with a romantic one. I still need a personal assistant and you still need this job. Am I right?"

"Yes," she said. "I need this job."

"Then you have to be sure about doing this," he said. "That's all I wanted to know. I want you to know what you are getting into and I wanted you to be sure. So, I am ready for this. I need for you to tell me that you are ready," he said. He got up. "So you know where I stand, I am going to give you some time to think about it. Just let me know." He opened the door, looked back at her with a loving smile and left the room. She fell back into her bed and hugged her pillow. She was overwhelmed with so many different emotions. But the one thing that stuck out in her mind was that Owen had feelings for her, just like she did for him. He was right, though. Their whole relationship would change. Was she prepared for that?

* * *

Later that day, they checked out of the hotel and headed to the airport. He looked at her. She was the ever-efficient personal assistant, who had made sure that both they and their luggage were checked in. She handed him his passport and boarding pass. On the airplane, they were separated, as she was in Economy and he was in First Class. Since the seat next to him was empty, he asked the flight attendant if he could pay for an upgrade for his personal assistant. The flight attendant recognized him and agreed. He asked if she could bring Cristina up to the front.

When she brought her up, Cristina was so happy. "Never sat in First Class before," she said. "This is so amazing, compared to Economy.". He looked at how happy she was, as she enjoyed the perks of First Class. When she fell asleep, he covered her with a blanket. He pulled up the armrest between the two of them and he pulled her closer, so she could rest her head on him. He put his arm around her. He, too, fell asleep. They slept all the way to their next destination, which was in France. He gently shook her awake.

"We're here, Cristina," he said. She got up and rubbed her eyes. He helped her with her carry on luggage as they disembarked from the plane. At the hotel, they separated - he to his luxurious suite and she to her standard room. It was late, so he ordered room service and asked her to come up to his room to eat. He had ordered extra food because he knew Cristina would be famished. She came up and they had their dinner, while watching television. The show was in French, so Cristina translated everything for him. He found it funny that she translated the language, using the same inflections and tones like the actors on the show.

After dinner, she told him goodnight and left. He started to get ready for bed. He took a shower, brushed his teeth and changed in his pjs. He had just settled down into bed under the covers when there was a knock on his bedroom door. Who could be knocking on his door at this hour of the night? He peered through the peephole and saw Cristina there. He opened the door to find her in her pjs and carrying a toothbrush.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked. "Why are you back up here?"

She looked up at him. "I think I am ready."

* * *

**A/N Please leave your comments and reviews. I do appreciate when you take the time to do so.**


	20. Chapter 20 I am Your Boyfriend

**A/N Mature content in this chapter.**

* * *

He let her in. "You can put your toothbrush in the bathroom," he said. He had to smile that she remembered to bring her toothbrush with her. She went and did what she was told. She came out and sat on the edge of the bed. "So, what happens next?" she asked.

He had to laugh. "This is so awkward," he said. "I have imagined this for quite a while and now that is here, I am actually kind of nervous. I am usually not like this." This slip of a girl made him feel like this, he knew. It was because unlike the other women he had slept with, the first time with Cristina would actually mean something to him. Then he remembered something. "Oh, God, I don't have any condoms." He had stopped carrying around condoms, when he had vowed to himself that he was no longer going to have one-night stands. Now, here he was, without a condom and their love-making could already be stymied by the lack of the said item. He groaned.

"It's okay," she said, softly. She dug into the pocket of her pj bottoms and pulled out three condoms and put them on the bedside table. "We're good." He burst out laughing but he stopped immediately. He knew that Cristina was the type of girl, who was sensitive about things and could misinterpret his laughter. "I am not laughing at you," he said, quickly. "I am just relieved that you thought about bringing condoms." She gave him a sweet smile and said, "I know." He went across to her and cupped her face in his hands as he kissed her. She pulled herself up on to the bed, while they continued to kiss. He lay on top of her, as their lips and tongues got really familiar with the other's. He felt her hands loosen the drawstrings of his pj bottoms. He was surprised when she slipped her hands under the pjs and grab at his bare bottom. He looked at her with a smile, "Wicked girl." She grinned back at him as she worked her hands to the front and started stroking him.

"Let me help you out," he said, as he stripped off all of his clothes. She gasped at his finely chiseled body. She knew he would have an amazing body because, after all, he was a world-class athlete. "You like?" he asked. He knew what he looked like and he was proud of his body. It was just really great to have someone else appreciate it, especially someone whom he cared about.

"Yes," she said, touching his well-defined abs. "I think I may be a disappointment in comparison."

"Never," he said, as he slipped off her t-shirt and pulled off her pajama bottoms and underwear with one move. He marveled at the smoothness of her skin. "You are beautiful," he said. She gave him a shy smile. He started kissing her all over her body – her neck, her shoulders, her breasts, her stomach and then, he reached her sex. He gently rubbed her clit as he worked his tongue on her. She closed her eyes – this was the first time someone had ever done this to her. Jacob never wanted to do it and it made her feel like if she was dirty because he didn't want to do it. She never knew it could feel this way, as Owen's talented tongue worked its way inside of her. She gasped and grabbed on to his head, running her fingers through her hair. He heard her moan and say, "oh, God, yes" so he knew he was doing a good job. He was determined to make her come, so he worked arduously until he could feel her body shudder under him. She screamed because she had never experienced an orgasm like that. She realized at that moment, what a selfish lover Jacob had been.

She pulled him up and kissed him. "Do you want me to reciprocate?" she asked. "Maybe later," he whispered. "All I want right now is to make you feel good." He reached over and grabbed one of the condoms on the bedside table. He ripped the package open and hurriedly slipped it on his already rigid member. He looked deeply into his eyes as he penetrated her. They both gasped, as he first entered her. For both of them, it seemed to be so long since they both had sex. Cristina hadn't had sex since Jacob and that was over two years ago. Owen hadn't had sex in a couple of months and that was also a very long time for him. Her tight, wet walls held him really close. He started slowly, building up into a fast and rhythmic pace. She was so tight that he was afraid he would have come too quickly without satisfying her first. "You can do this, Owen," he thought to himself. He could feel her breaths getting shallower and becoming more rapid. He could tell she was coming. Her walls were getting even tighter around him. He felt her quiver, so he knew she had come. It was a sweet release when he finally came. He rested on top of her until his breathing had calmed down. Then he rolled off her. "Did you enjoy it?" he asked. "It was important to him that she did.

"Yes," she said, quietly. He really wasn't expecting marching bands or anything like that but he did find it a rather subdued answer. "Really? You can tell me if you didn't," he said. "I would just have to work harder at it." She turned to face him and said, "It was wonderful. You are a very caring and great lover. You made every effort to satisfy me. And I would like to do it, again." He felt gratified by her words. He just wanted her to feel what he felt for her. "Good," he replied. "We do have two more condoms left."

"Yes," she said. "And I expect that we will use both of them." She gave him a cheeky grin. "Yes, ma'am," he said. "Now let me show you what I can do," she said, as she slipped under the covers and started to pleasure him with her soft, malleable mouth. "Oh my God, under that delicate exterior, you are such a bad, bad girl and I love it," he said. He closed his eyes and just let her do whatever she wanted with him. He loved this girl.

* * *

Owen rolled and reached over to pull Cristina closer to him. But his hands felt nothing. "What the hell?" he said, opening his eyes. She was not in his bed. "Cristina!" he called out her name, hoping that she had gone in the bathroom. There was no answer. Did he dream it? Was it just some delicious dream? He reached over and grabbed the pillow and gave it a good whiff. No, he confirmed, it was not a dream. He could smell her peachy shampoo on the pillow. He hugged it tightly, breathing in the smell. It had been an amazing night. He reached over to his bedside, picked up his phone and dialed Cristina's number. When she answered, he said, "Hey, why did you leave? I was going to order room service and we could have had breakfast in bed."

"Um, well, I am dressed in my pjs and I wanted to get back to my room before anyone saw me. But, an older couple saw me in the elevator. The husband just kept nodding at me as if he knew that I had done something really naughty," she said. "Besides, I needed to take a shower and change my clothes."

"Well, do you want to meet downstairs and have breakfast?" he asked, happily.

"I am sorry but I have plans for breakfast," she said. "I will talk to you after breakfast. Gotta go. I have people to meet. Bye." She hung up.

"Wh-at?" he said but all he could hear was silence. He was a little peeved. Where was she going at this hour of the morning? Who was she going to meet?

He got up to brush his teeth and take a shower. He was happy to see her red toothbrush still there in his bathroom. That was a good sign, he thought. After freshening up, he changed his clothes and was headed downstairs to grab some breakfast.

At the door of the restaurant, he looked around and surveyed the area. Then, he saw her with her buddies, Vernon and Charlie. He walked across to their table with a smile. "Hey," he said. Three pairs of eyes turned in his direction. He felt suddenly uncomfortable. It was like if he didn't belong with them. He could feel the guys, examining him.

"Hi, Owen," she said. "Why don't you go grab breakfast and I will join you in a bit." Owen noticed that Cristina had two presents in front of her. He wondered what that was about. He heard one of the guys tell Cristina, "What's up with your boss? It almost seemed like he was going to join us. Won't that have been a hoot?" He heard her answer, "Oh, he is just very friendly." It was clear to him that Cristina had not informed her friends about the change in their relationship status.

As he walked away, he noticed a waiter bringing a cupcake with a candle on it. It was her birthday, he realized. She had not said anything to him. From his table, he watched her blow out the candle and eat the cupcake. She said goodbye to her friends and then she picked up her two presents and walked across to his table.

"Sorry about that," she said, as she sat down. She put her two presents in her rather massive messenger bag.

"It's your birthday," he said. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Yeah, it is. I turned 22 today," she said. "Well, until yesterday, you were my employer and therefore, I really didn't think I needed to tell you. Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal."

"But Vernon and Charlie knew," he protested. "That's because they're my buddies," she told him. "I know their birthdays, too."

"As you pointed out, today, I am not just your employer. We are in a relationship," he reminded her. "You could have told me this morning when I called you. People in relationships mention these things."

"It's okay. You don't have to make a big fuss," she said. She opened her notebook. "Anything you want me to do for the day?"

"No, not really. It's your birthday. We could go have some fun," he said.

"Don't you have practice time scheduled for this morning?" she asked, checking his schedule on her phone.

"Yes, but I want to spend it with you," he said. She shook her head. "No, we are still here to win. You need your practice time. This is our business," she said, firmly. He knew she was right. "Okay, but we celebrate tonight," he insisted. "If you wish," she added. "But it doesn't matter if we do or not." Her insistence that they didn't need to celebrate upset him a bit. He wanted to celebrate with her. It was a very coupley thing to do.

"So you didn't tell Vernon or Charlie about the change in our relationship. That I am your boyfriend," he said. Boyfriend was such an odd word coming out of his mouth. The last time he used it was probably in high school. She looked at him, a little bit surprised that he had actually used that word. "My boyfriend?" she repeated.

"Yes, your boyfriend. I am your boyfriend," he said. "What's so strange about that? We did spend a wonderful night, together. So what about Vernon and Charlie? Why didn't you tell them?"

"Um," she said. "I think that we should keep that under wraps for the time being," she said. "Imagine the tabloids would have a field day with the fact that you are sleeping with your PA." He gave her a quizzical look. "So?"

"So they will start taking pictures of you and me," she said. "All of the time."

"Hmmm," he said. "I don't like it. It's like you are ashamed to say that I am your boyfriend."

"No, I am not," she replied, defensively. "I just like my privacy and I don't want my relationship splashed across all of the newspapers."

"Okay," he said. "We will be discreet in public but wild in private. Is that agreeable to you?"

"Yes," she agreed, as she flashed him a beaming smile. "Okay, so now that it is established that I am your boyfriend, let me fulfill the role and allow me to celebrate your birthday with you. I cannot allow this to pass without some sort of dinner and presents," he replied.

"Oh, alright," she said. "We will do the dinner and presents. Tonight, then." His brain started to work overtime on what they could do.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your comments and thoughts. I do appreciate it when you do take the time to do so.**


	21. Chapter 21 Birthday Surprise

It was around 5 p.m. that Owen called Cristina to meet him in the lobby. "And wear something warm," he said. "We are going somewhere special." Cristina got dressed in a pretty blue sweater, a pair of jeans, socks and boots. She pulled out her coat and scarf and headed downstairs.

His face broke out in a huge smile, when he saw her. "Okay, I have a taxi waiting." He grabbed her hand they walked out to the taxi. As they bundled into the back seat, she asked, "Where are we going?"

"It is a surprise," he said. "A birthday surprise." They drove for about half an hour and then, the taxi dropped them off at this building. "I am going to cover your eyes, now." He blindfolded her and guided her into the building. When he got her to where he wanted, he told someone, "Can you dim the lights, please?" He then removed the blindfold. Cristina rubbed her eyes and looked around. There were thousands of lights decorating the place, which appeared to be an ice-skating rink. The lights gave it an ethereal glow.

"Wow, an ice skating rink. I have not been on one, in a while," she said. "How did you know?"

"I called your mom and asked her what was the one thing you love that you haven't been able to do in a while," he told her. "She said that you loved figure-skating and you used to do it, competitively but you stopped, when it became too expensive for them to keep up with the costs. So I decided to hire out an entire ice-skating rink just for you. I got them to put up all of the lights, too." She looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"I was devastated when I had to give it up. It is very costly with all of the traveling, the coaches, the equipment, the choreographers, the costumes. My parents aren't rich so they couldn't continue," she said. "When I gave it up, we all cried. My mom, my dad and me. After I stopped, I couldn't face going to the rink, anymore, just to skate for fun. I gave away all of my skates. I haven't been on the ice for a long time." He cupped her face and kissed her gently on the lips.

"Let us get those skates on you, right now," he said, pulling out a pair of white skates from a box. "Your mom told me your size." She sat down on a bench and allowed him to put the skates on her. He then sat down and put on his skates. "Ready?" She nodded, so they got up and hand in hand, went around the rink. Cristina started off, a little tentatively. She hadn't been on skates, since she was 15 years old. Then, she found her rhythm. She released Owen's hand and stared building speed before throwing herself in the air and doing a double toe loop.

"Wow," Owen said. "I am very impressed."

"That was easy," she yelled, from the other side of the rink. "That was only a double. I haven't done it so long that I can only do doubles, now. I have to practice some more before I can do triples, again." She skated back to him. "So let's see what you can do."

"No, no," he said. "All I can do is glide around the rink, aimlessly, like an idiot. I want to see what else you can do."

"Are you sure?" she asked, as she skated away from him again. He watched her doing step sequence, a couple of more jumps and ending in a spin. She caught the back of her skate, raising her leg over and behind her head , while spinning on one leg.

Owen whistled and clapped, as she finally came to a stop. "That was a spectacular spin at the end. What do you call that?"

"A Biellman spin. That was named after a Swiss skater called Denise Biellman. She made the move popular in the 1970s," she told him. "I was known for my flexibility. But I am a little rusty. I used to do that much better."

"That was really, really good. You would have been a great competitor," he told her.

"Yeah, I would have. But I can't cry over that now. My time has a competitive skater has long past. You have to be a teenager to keep doing some of these jumps. At my age, I would have been looking at winding up my competitive career and hoping to move into a pro career with one of those touring ice-skating companies. You would have seen me on tv, doing those ice skating spectaculars that they have every winter."

"A tennis player's competitive days are also limited," he told her. I am going to be 27 this year and then I guess, I will have only about three or four years left on the circuit. I will probably retire by the time I am 30. I will probably do a few celebrity tournaments after that but my days of real competition will probably be over. I will be leaving it for the Dominics of the world, who have the younger legs and more than likely, greater stamina. I think I have achieved almost everything that I have wanted in the game, except for one thing."

"What? I thought you had done everything," she said. "You've been number one, you've won countless tournaments. What haven't you done?"

"The French Open. I have yet to win it. It is the only tournament that I play that is on clay. The rallies are so long and tiring. Do you know Quinteras has won this twice and I can't get my hands on the trophy as yet? So frustrating," he said. "But enough of me, today is about you."

"Hey, I am going to bet that you are going to win the French Open this year," she said, grinning, throwing her arms around him.

"Why say you, my little girlfriend?" he said. Cristina liked that he called her "his girlfriend." It sounded good coming from his lips.

"Because this year, you have me. I will be our good luck charm," she said. He kissed her on the top of her head.

"And if I lose?" he said. "What happens, then, good luck charm?"

"Well, I would say I must have run out of mojo, that day. But let's think positively, we are going to win the French Open this year. We are going to give Pablo Quinteras a run for his money," she said, emphatically.

"That's the spirit," he said. "So, can you show me some moves?"

"Sure," she said and took his hand. She showed him how to glide with one leg in the air and a few simple spins. He wasn't very graceful and he didn't care. Neither was she. They were just happy being with each other.

* * *

After about two hours, they had enough of ice-skating and headed back to the hotel. He dropped her off at her room and told her to come up to his room in about half an hour. She asked if she needed to dress up. He said that she could just come up with her pjs, since she was going to spend the night. They both just grinned at that.

Owen went to his room to find that the hotel staff was hard at work. The concierge was there and handed him a small box from one of the finest jewelers in France. "The gift you asked for," he said.  
"Thank you," Owen said. He opened the box and stared at it. It was indeed beautiful. The concierge left while a waiter dressed the table near the balcony. He covered the table with a fine linen cloth, placed a small vase with flowers and candles that were ready to be lit. He had ordered a special menu from room service, which they had wheeled in on a trolley.

"Thank you," Owen said, as he tipped everyone for their fine work. Everything looked lovely. He gave it a final glance before he went into the bathroom for a shower. He changed into his pjs and awaited his girlfriend. There was a knock on the door. There she was at the door. She was in her pjs, too, but was wearing a coat to cover it.

"Why are you wearing that coat?" he asked.

"Because I don't want somebody like that old guy in the elevator in the morning, giving me a knowing look that I slept somewhere else other than my room," she said. She came in and gasped at everything. "You did this all for me?" she said, alittle in disbelief.

"Yup, because it is your birthday, even though you didn't want to tell me," he said. He lit the candles, while she started checking out the food on the trolley. "Oh, my," she said. "That looks scrumptious." Then, she reached for the covered dish on the bottom.

"Not the one on the bottom. That is your birthday cake. I want you to see it when we are ready to have dessert," he warned. She pulled away her hand.

He continued, "The best thing is that having dinner in my room, we don't have to dress up for it. Totally comfy and barefoot, too."

"That is so true. Dressing up can be fun but you must have the mindset for it. Like one of those parties you have to attend that the tournament organizers put together," she said. "Those can be a bore, sometimes."

"Yup," he said. "Always making chit-chat with people you don't know. The best company I can have is the one right here with me. So, let's eat." They spent the next hour and a half, sampling all of the food that he had ordered. "You have to leave some room for the cake," he reminded her. She nodded. They had done enough damage to all of the food, when Owen brought out the cake from the bottom of the trolley. He lifted the cover to reveal a three-layer red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting.

"Oh, awesome," she said. "Let me light these candles," he said, sticking two number two figure candles into the cake, so that together, they were 22.

She watched him light the candles. "Make a wish, baby," he said, as she blew out the candles. "Happy birthday. Did you make your wish?" he asked. She nodded. "Are you not going to tell me?" She shook her head. "That's okay," he said.

He cut the cake and handed her a slice on a plate. She dug into it with her fork and made a satisfied sound, as she ate the cake with a smile on her face. "I have something for you," he said, handing her the box that the concierge had given to him, earlier.

"You have done enough. You don't have to buy me a present, too," she said. Even though she told him that he didn't have to get her anything, he could tell from her tone that she was excited. She opened the box and gasped, loudly. She took the diamond tennis bracelet and stared at it.

"I can't believe that this is for me," she said, fingering the diamonds.

"Of course you can. I am a tennis player so I got my girl a tennis bracelet. Okay, that sounded corny. Now, don't you think you should put it on?" he said. She put it on her wrist and he closed the clasp for her. She just kept staring at it, watching it sparkle in the candelight. She looked up at him. "Thank you." He rubbed his thumb on her cheek. "You're welcome, Cristina," he whispered.

After dinner, Owen gathered up all of the dishes, plates and flatware and placed them back on the trolley, putting it outside of the room. He called room service to take it back. They brushed their teeth and lay on the bed, snuggled next to each other.

"If I could, I would make love to you for your birthday," he said. "Unfortunately, I am too full."

"Me, too," she said. "Maybe later, when it has all digested."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Definitely later. So you're not going to tell me your wish?"

"I guess I could," she said. "It already came true." She rested her head on his chest.

"Okay, well?" he enquired. "What was it?"

"This," she said. "Me and you. That's my wish." He smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "You know what, Cristina? This is my wish, too."

* * *

**A/N Please leave your thoughts and comments. Thank you. I appreciate when you take the time to do so.**


	22. Chapter 22 The Past Comes Back to Haunt

The next few months were a blur of travel and tournaments. Owen won a lot, lost a few but in those he lost, he had made it to the semi-finals or the finals. As he told Cristina, you can't win every time but it really was the big tournaments that mattered – the four tournaments that made up the Grand Slam of tennis. He had already won the Australian Open which was in winter at the end of January. The French Open was the next big one, starting at the end of May and continuing into June. There was always an extra excitement in the air whenever it was a Grand Slam event.

They arrived in France and checked into their hotel and headed to the stadium, afterwards. "Can you feel it?" he asked her.

"Feel what?" she asked. "The excitement – it is really sort of heightened at the Grand Slam events more than any other tournament during the year."

"So this is it, Owen, the one we have to win this year," she said, eagerly.

"Yeah, baby," he said.

"Cristina," someone shouted. She looked around and saw her pals, Charlie and Vernon. "Can I go talk to them?" she asked. "Do you need me for anything, again?"

"Sure, you can go talk to them but meet me here back in 45 minutes. I have some stuff I need to do," he said. She nodded and ran to meet Vernon and Charlie. They didn't see each other at every tournament, mainly because their bosses often played different tournaments. However, they were certain to see each other at the really big tournaments.

Owen loved taking a walk around the stadium before a huge tournament. He didn't really have great memories at Roland Garros. He had only made the finals once at the French Open. Clay was not a surface he liked much. Grass and hard court surfaces suited his game better.

"Hey, there, Hunt," a Spanish-accented voice said. He knew that voice, immediately. It was Pablo Quinteras, the defending French Open champion.

"Hello, Quinteras," Owen answered in a brisk tone.

"Looking over the place?" Pablo asked. Owen gave a brief nod. "So am I," Pablo said. "So where is Cristina?" Owen's hackles started to raise. "She is around with some of her friends," he answered.

"So are you ready to take me this year?" Pablo said with a grin. Owen hated that smug grin; he wished he could just wipe it off Pablo's face. The only way he could do that was to snatch victory from that Spaniard's hands. He was determined to do so.

"I am up for the challenge," Owen said. "You've already won two years in a row. Give someone else a chance." Pablo laughed. "I am not giving this up without a fight," he responded.

"May the best man win," Owen said, with a tight smile.

"Well, I guess I will see you at the party, tonight," Pablo said. "Is Cristina coming?"

"Yes," Owen said, through gritted teeth. "She always accompanies me to these things."

"Well, I will see you then," Pablo said. Owen watched Pablo walk away. He just didn't like that guy at all. Why the heck did he keep asking about Cristina? She had already set him straight that she was not interested, months ago. He went back to the spot where he was supposed to meet Cristina. She was already there. They were going to head back to the hotel to get ready for the cocktail party.

* * *

Later that night, he met her in the lobby. She was wearing a short sapphire blue dress. "Very sexy," he whispered to her. "I will be proud to have you on my arm, when we enter that party."

"You're not too bad yourself," she told him with a laugh. The car came and took them to where the party was. As they entered the venue, they did what they normally did. They separated because technically, she was not his date, just his assistant. She went and joined her friends while he went to mingle with the organizers and the other guests.

"Looking fine," Vernon said, as she came to join them. "I must say that I do agree," Charlie said. "That sapphire blue goes well with your very dark hair."

"Thank you, guys," she said. "Now for an awesome night of people-watching and dissing what people are wearing." Pablo Quinteras passed by and waved at her. She gave him a smile and waved back.

"Ooh, getting special attention from the defending champ, I see," Charlie teased her.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she said, laughing. Then she caught sight of something that certainly curtailed her laughter in an instant. She looked across at Owen and saw some redheaded woman kissing him on the mouth.

Owen had been just minding his own business when he suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. "Hello, dah-ling," the woman said. He knew immediately that she was a model. Her red hair was perfectly coiffed and fell in long waves down her shoulders. She looked familiar but he couldn't remember who she was. He had a blank look, so the woman helped him out. "It's me, Birgitte, we met at the US Open." Now, he remembered who she was. He had slept with her, after he met her at that party.

"Ah, Birgitte, how are you?" he said. He stepped back a little because he had found she was a little too close.

"Oh, my, aren't we so formal, tonight? Is that the way you greet someone you once shared a bed with?" she said. Owen sighed. She was clearly tipsy. He was more than surprised by her nex move. Birgitte grabbed his face and kissed him, ramming her tongue into his mouth. For a moment, there, he was too much in shock to do anything, then he caught himself and pushed her away. He immediately looked across at Cristina to see if she saw that. She was looking directly at him but her face betrayed nothing. He turned to Brigitte and told her that he was seriously involved with someone and that he wasn't interested. Birgitte nodded and moved on to someone, who was a little more welcoming. Owen shot Cristina an apologetic look.

"Looks like your boss is going to get lucky tonight. Did you see that woman kissing him?" Charlie said, with a laugh. Cristina was in no laughing mood, so she said nothing.

It was not a good night for Owen as another woman, this time, a French model, slapped him on the butt and recalled their night together, two years ago. Cristina also had a clear view of that. She still showed no outward emotion, even though she was fed up of it. She had enough, when she told her friends that she wasn't feeling well and was going back to the hotel.

"Okay," Charlie said. "I will take you back and make sure you get back, safely."

"You don't have to. Stay here and enjoy the rest of the party," she insisted. Charlie shook his head. "I wouldn't feel right if you went back, alone and not feeling well, too. I will just drop you off and come back. Are you going to tell your boss that you are leaving?"

"No, I think he has enough distractions to occupy him for the next few hours," she said. "Let's go." It took Owen about 15 minutes to realize that Cristina was not there. He assumed that she had gone to the ladies' room. Another 10 minutes had passed and she had not returned. He went to Vernon and asked, "Is Cristina here?"

"Uh, no, she went back to the hotel. She said she wasn't feeling well and Charlie took her back," Vernon told him. It was rare that he would ever speak to Owen Hunt, so he was feeling a little nervous.

"Okay, thank you. Why didn't she tell me that she wasn't feeling well? I would have taken her back," Owen said.

"Um, she said that she didn't want to bother you," Vernon said. Well, that was not exactly what she said, he knew, but it was the most diplomatic answer. Owen nodded. He told his hosts that he had to leave because of an emergency and left the party.

* * *

In the meanwhile, Cristina and Charlie had arrived back at the hotel. Charlie had noted her somber mood, so he decided to make a suggestion to cheer her up. "Cristina, you look a little bit depressed. Normally, I would ask Vernon to do this. There is a heated indoor pool in the basement of this hotel. There is no one around there at this hour. Do you want to go midnight skinny-dipping?"

Cristina started to laugh. "Skinny-dipping! No way, Charlie, am I going to go skinny-dipping with you."

"You don't have to skinny-dip. You can wear your swimsuit. So how about it? Are you up for it?" he asked.

"Yeah, why not?" she said. "A swim might help me clear my head. I will meet you there." They both went to their rooms, changed in their swimwear and went down to the basement. Charlie found Cristina, already waiting outside of the door of the pool area.

"It says 'closed', Charlie," she said, pointing to the sign on the door. Charlie opened the door. "Voila, the facility is closed because there isn't any attendant around but the door usually isn't. Let's go."

"Is this against the rules?" she asked. "Of course it is," Charlie said. "That is what makes it so much more fun."

The lights were not on, except for a few lights that illuminated the pool. They jumped in. "Ooh, this water feels good. A heated pool is the way to go," Cristina said. She then began swimming laps.

* * *

Owen made it back to the hotel and went straight to Cristina's room. He had the key to her room. In fact, they both had the keys to each other's room. He opened the door and called out her name. He saw the dress she wore that night across the bed. Her phone was on the bedside table. He looked at it. He saw all of the missed calls. He knew that they were all probably for him because he had not stopped calling her, when he had left the party.

Where was she? Then, he had the idea that maybe, she was up in his room, waiting for him in her pjs. That cheered him up as he left her room and got into the elevator. When he got to his floor, he walked swiftly to his room and opened the door. He called out her name, as he entered, but there was no answer. He sighed, as he realized he had absolutely no idea where she was. It was a feeling that he did not like.

* * *

Cristina and Charlie were having a fine time in the pool. She was doing laps, while he was just frolicking. "Hey, Cristina," he yelled at her. She stopped swimming to look at him. "Look at this," he said. He reached down and pulled off his swimming trunks and tossed it on the ledge of the pool.

"God, no, Charlie," Cristina shrieked. She then found her way out of the pool. "I will not be in the same pool as your free-floating penis." She started to laugh, hysterically. Charlie, too, was laughing. "Oh, come on, Yang, don't tell me you haven't seen one before."

"Of course I have. I just don't want to see yours," she said, continuing to laugh. Their laughter was suddenly curtailed, when a loud, authoritative voice with a French accent said, "What is going on in here?" They both knew that they were caught.

"Um, taking a swim," Charlie said, sheepishly.

"I can see that," the man said. "I am the manager of the facility. It is closed for the night. You can only swim when there is an attendant in here." He then peered at Charlie, closer. "Are you naked, sir? There is no nudity in this facility. I must ask the both of you to leave, immediately." Charlie swam to the side of the pool, retrieved his swimming trunks and put them back on, before stepping out of the pool. They wrapped themselves in towels and could not stop giggling, as they were marched out of there by the facility manager.

* * *

The next morning, Owen found himself at the restaurant, awaiting Cristina. He had spent the night, alone, hoping that she would come to him but she didn't. He ordered himself a coffee, while he waited. Then, he found himself, listening to the conversation to the people who sat at a table behind him. They were players like himself – Alastair Holmes, who was Charlie's boss and Ozzie Pennington, who was Vernon's boss.

"Well, Charlie got himself in a spot of trouble, last night," Alastair said. "Apparently, he went midnight swimming at the indoor pool, last night and got caught."

"Really? I am surprised that Vernon wasn't in trouble with him. Those two are thick as thieves," Ozzie said.

"Well, apparently, he was with someone else. Hunt's assistant. Pretty Asian girl with the long, curly hair. What's her name? Ah, yes, Cristina is her name," Alastair said. Owen, on hearing Cristina's name, immediately went on high alert.

"Well, it is against the rules of the hotel to be swimming when the facility is closed and there is no one around. But, apparently, that wasn't the only thing. He was skinny-dipping, too," Alastair continued. Owen's mouth dropped open.

"The girl, too? That would have been the only consolation, if she was," Ozzie said, chuckling.

"That's the thing. She had her swimsuit on, so he definitely struck out there," Alastair said, with a laugh. Owen breathed a sigh of relief that she was not skinny-dipping. He got up, paid for the coffee and decided to go check on Cristina. He used his key to get into her room. He found her, still asleep, apparently still worn out from the night's events. She looked so angelic, with her dark hair spread out on the pillow. He kicked off his shoes and slipped under the covers, next to her. He wrapped his arm around her, then his hand found its way, under her t-shirt to caress her bare breasts.

She opened her eyes. She knew exactly the person, who was in her bed with her. He was the only one with a key to her room. She removed his hand from under her shirt and pulled away from him. She turned around and gave him a glare, before she got out of the bed, went to the bathroom and slammed the door.

He sighed. He knew she was obviously still extremely mad.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your comments and reviews. I am always appreciative of when people take the time to do so.**


	23. Chapter 23 French Open

He waited patiently for her to get out of the bathroom. She came out, wrapped in a towel. She obviously had a shower. She dropped her towel in front of him to reveal her totally nude body. Owen swallowed hard. She seemed to be ignoring him, while he was getting aroused, staring at her very smooth, slim body in front of him. It didn't seem to be the appropriate moment but he badly wanted to touch her. She was mad at him and probably would not have welcomed his touch. He watched her as she got completely dressed. He sighed. He liked looking at the naked Cristina.

She finally turned and addressed him, directly. "Is there anything I can help you with?" She had adopted her professional persona with him. He found it ironic, since she had just been totally naked in front of him.

"Yes, there is a lot you can help me with," he said. "I hope you can listen to me." She rolled her eyes but she nodded. She sat in the armchair in the room. "I am all ears to what you have to say," she responded.

"Good. I recognize that you are upset about what happened last night at the party. But I have to say that it was not my fault. I did not encourage any of these women to do what they did to me. They literally pounced on me," he said. Cristina started to laugh, hysterically. Owen took that as not a good sign.

"Owen, the reason that they pounced on you is that you probably slept with them before, so they felt that they had the freedom to do so," she said. "It is not easy for a girl to see strange women kissing your boyfriend or feeling up his butt."

"I get that," he said. "But you knew what kind of life I led before you. I was a player. I had a lot of one-night stands. You knew this because I know Jesper told you all of this when he was training you," he said. "But since you and I decided to get together, there has been no one and you know that, too. We are together, every day. I take you everywhere with me, so you know that this is true."

He continued, "In a way, it's your fault, too." She gave him the most incredulous look, when he said that. "How can it be my fault?"

"Well, if you just allow the relationship to go public, then we won't have this problem, anymore. People will know that I am involved with someone and they would back off," he said. "So, let's do it. Let's make it public. I really want that Quinteras to know that we are together because he keeps asking about you. I want to rub it in his face."

"Is that all you want? To rub it in Quinteras' face?" Cristina scoffed. "Do you know how this will affect our lives? We will be hounded by photographers to get a shot of the world's number one player and his assistant/girlfriend/live-in lover. I don't want to live my life on the other end of a photographer's lens."

"So if that is what you want, then you will have to learn to live with it. There will be women who will approach me. Some, who I probably should not have spent the night with and some, who think I am single and therefore, approachable and available," he said. "Because I do not encourage any of it. You are my girlfriend and there is no one else." Cristina gave him a pained expression.

"Maybe this is a mistake. We are a mistake," she answered. "Maybe we should not have started this relationship."

"What are you saying, Cristina? We are not a mistake," he said. He almost told her that he loved her but he figured it might be too soon to say these things, since they were only together a couple for a few months.

"I don't know. I don't know," she said. They were both silent, as they stared at each other. "I think we should just have a cooling off period. Maybe it is just getting a little too hectic."

"Huh? What? A break?" he said. She nodded. "Yes, a break," she said. "I will just go back to being your assistant for the time being, until we figure out where we are going with this relationship."

"I don't have to figure out where I am going with this relationship," he told her. "I know exactly what I want. I want you." She seemed unsure, so he continued, "We can't just unring the bell and pretend that our relationship didn't happen."

"I am not saying that," she said. "I just think we need a break for a while. I really want to decide if this is a relationship that I really want. I am now unsure of whether I want to be with a man who has been with so many women. Who knows when one of your former conquests will rear her head, once again?"

"If that is the way you feel about it," he said. He got up and gave her the key to her room. "I hope you change your mind, though." He didn't ask her for the key to his room because it was his hope that she would eventually come to him.

"I am going down to breakfast. Will you join me?" he said. "Bring your notebook."

"Okay," she said. She felt weird. She knew it was his attempt to be professional. It seemed strained. She followed him out of the room and down to the restaurant. They were silent as they rode the elevator down.

* * *

The next couple of days were extremely awkward and uncomfortable for the two of them. Their professional lives and personal lives were so intertwined that it was difficult to separate the two. Still, they tried. As Owen powered through the first, second, third and fourth round of matches, Cristina was there in the stands as always. He sometimes looked towards her during the game for her support. It always made him feel better.

They still had their meals together and after dinner, they would say good night and go their separate ways to their rooms. Owen lay on his bed, wishing that she would be under the covers next to him. He missed their closeness. He found this break to be quite unbearable. He channeled his unhappiness into his game and was proving to be devastating on the court. All of the tennis pundits noted that there seemed to be a change in Hunt's game this year. They knew that the top tennis player did not really embrace the clay surface at all, having been only to the finals of the tournament just once. It seemed like he was bulldozing his way to the finals. In the quarter finals, he completely dominated his opponent to make an easy entry into the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, he met up with a more formidable opponent – a former champion – another Spaniard. The match went to five sets and was very intense. Owen was exhausted by the time it was over. He held on for the win but it took a lot out of him. Now, he was going to face his arch-rival, Quinteras, in the finals. He had hoped that the semi-finals match would not have been so arduous. He would have wanted to have an easier road to the finals. Still, he had to remind himself that he actually made it to the finals. That was a great accomplishment for him but now, he had to win it.

Cristina met him after the game. "Congratulations. Just one more match," she said.

"Thanks," he said. "So we're going to head back to the hotel, now?"

"Yes," she said. "We can have dinner and you can rest. That was a tough match. At least you have a day off."

They headed back to the hotel, where they had dinner and a little bit of dessert. He watched her lick her spoon and found himself staring at her tongue.

"Come back to my room with me," he said. She looked up at him. "We're on a break. I thought you understood that."

"I know. But I miss you so much," he said. "It is just lonely without you at nights. I reach for you in the middle of the night and you are not there. I see you every day but it is not just the same and it hurts so bad in here." He pointed to his heart.

She gave him a sad look, as she said, "It has been less than two weeks, Owen."

"It has been two weeks of hell," he told her. "There is not much more I can take of this." She sighed. "I miss you, too," she said, softly.

"See," he said. "I don't think that we are a mistake. Come on, Cristina, let's end this break. I need you in my corner for the next match. I need to know that you're with me."

"I am always with you, Owen, even if we aren't quite in the same space, when it comes to our relationship," she said. "I will be cheering you for you on Sunday."

"Thanks," he said. He knew she would be there for him but somehow, it didn't quite feel the same as in other tournaments.

* * *

That night, he slept in very late. He was so tired. It was good to get that rest. He looked at the time. It was 11.30 a.m. He could not believe that he slept that long. He was also feeling very hungry. It was closer to lunchtime than it was to breakfast. He wondered why Cristina had not awakened him. He got up, took a shower and brushed his teeth. He got dressed and decided to get some lunch. As he went down to the restaurant, he was a little taken aback to see Quinteras, stopping to chat at Cristina's table. They were laughing. That, he did not like.

He hurried towards them. "Ah, Hunt," Quinteras said. "Good morning, even though it is about noon."

"Just slept in a bit," Owen said, taking a seat at the table.

"Well, I guess that I better be off. I will see you tomorrow," Pablo said. He walked off and joined a couple of other guys at another table.

"What did he want?" Owen said.

"Oh, he wanted me to wish him good luck," Cristina answered. Owen scoffed. "What did you say?"

"I told him that I would wish him good luck but I would have to wish my boss even better luck. That's what we were laughing at," Cristina said. "You had a good sleep. Do you want to order now?"

"Yes, I am very hungry," he said. "I do have the better luck. You are my good luck charm."

"That, indeed, I am," she said. She reached across and gave his hand a squeeze. The gesture made him feel all warm on the inside.

* * *

The next day, Owen and Pablo took to the courts. As they warmed up before the match, Owen looked for Cristina in the stands. He caught her eye and she waved and gave him two thumbs up. He grinned back at her and waved. He then observed his opponent. It would be hard to knock Quinteras off his French Open throne, given that he had ruled it for two years straight. Owen knew it was going to be a long day.

The first set was won by Quinteras. Owen found it a little difficult to find his groove. He was nervous and a little unsure. He looked across to Cristina for reassurance. She nodded to him and mouthed the words, "You're gonna do it." The second set was won by Owen. He was so relieved to have evened it out. He would not have liked to go to the third set, down two sets. The third set was really hard-fought, with Pablo coming out on top. Owen had to win the fourth set or it would be all over. He did so in another arduous fight.

It all came down to the fifth and final set. Both men dug deep, as they won the games in which they were on serve. Since the final set in the French Open never went to tie-break, that meant that somebody had to break the other person's serve twice. Owen was exhausted but every time, he glanced at Cristina, it was like he found renewed energy to continue. Finally, it was over. The score in the final set of the French Open was 12-10 in favor of….Owen Hunt, a first-time French Open champion. Owen fell to his knees in relief at the end of it all. Slowly, he got up to acknowledge the cheering crowds. He went to the net and shook Quinteras' hand. "Good match, Hunt," Pablo said. "Congratulations and let's hope we can do a rematch next year."

"Thanks, Pablo," Owen said. Quinteras smiled. It was probably the first time that Hunt had ever called him by his first name. Owen looked for Cristina and she was cheering and clapping, wildly. He just wanted to be with her to celebrate with her. He couldn't do that, at the moment, since there was the trophy ceremony, as well as the press interviews after that. Two hours later, he was finally through with all of the hoopla. He had taken a shower in the locker room and had changed his clothes. He saw her waiting for him but before he could get to her, a tall, busty blonde rushed up to him.

"Hey, Owen, my name is Natalie. Congratulations," she said. "Maybe you can call me. Anytime." The woman gave him a seductive smile, as she pushed a piece of paper with her phone number into his hand. He gave her the number back as he told her, "No, I am in a serious relationship." He looked across at Cristina. He knew that she saw when the blonde approached him but as usual, her face showed no emotions.

He walked across to her. "Congratulations! I know you could do it," she said. He was tired in a lot of ways. He was tired from the match. He was tired from having to hide what he felt about this woman. He was just tired that she was pushing him away. He decided to seize the moment. As she was about to walk away, he grabbed her hand, pulled her towards him and gave her a deep, long kiss in front of everybody. As the cameras of the photographers flashed around them, they didn't seem to care because it was just like it was the two of them alone in the whole wide world.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your comments and thoughts. Thanks for being kind enough to do so. I do appreciate when people like my stories.**


	24. Chapter 24 Aftermath

When they finally broke apart from their kiss, she whispered, "Why did you do that?"

"It's okay," he said, as he put his free arm around her and they walked out, together, as the photographers continued to trail them. They got into their car, which took them back to the hotel. Neither of them spoke in the car because even though they wanted to have a conversation about what had just happened, they didn't want to do it in front of the driver of their car.

When they got to the hotel, Owen said, "Let's go to my room and we can talk there." As soon as they got there, Owen took Cristina into his arms and pulled her towards the bed. "Just a little bit of loving and then we can talk. Okay?" he asked. "It's just that I have missed you so much."

"Okay," she whispered. She had also missed him a lot. They made love in such a way that it was a celebration of the win, as well as an ending of their break. It was urgent and frantic, as their bodies craved each other. They made up for lost time as they had sex several times, before they were both exhausted. As they lay there, it was Cristina who finally spoke.

"So, why did you do that?" she asked, quietly.

"I didn't want to pretend, anymore," he said. "I know you wanted to keep our relationship a secret but I didn't want to, anymore. I don't want women approaching me and thinking that I am going to be interested, when I am not. I want you to be respected so I just wanted everyone to know. Are you mad?"

"Kinda mad," she said. "I mean I understand why you did it but now, the circus has already started with all of the photographers. We're probably going to be photographed a lot, especially since you've won the French Open, the one tournament you hadn't yet conquered before now. And now that you have, it will be all over the news that you finally won the career Grand Slam, now. So not only have you achieved this, you also have a new girlfriend, who just happens to be your personal assistant. That's a good story for them." She sighed. "But it's done, now. We just have to live with it." She rested her head on his chest and he wrapped his arm around her. As they lay there, Owen was extremely glad it was now in the open. Soon, he was expecting a call from his mother, as soon as those pictures were in the media. He could just imagine what she would say. He expected that Cristina's parents would call her, too.

The hours passed and they ordered room service for dinner. As they were having dinner, his phone rang. He smiled, as he looked at the screen. "Hi, mom," he said. "How are you?"

"Well, I hear congratulations are in order," Bea told her son. He could hear the mirth in her voice.

"Why, thank you, mom. First time winning the French Open is very exciting," he said. He knew that was not what his mom wanted to talk about.

"Oh, come on, son, you know that's not it. I am referring to you and Cristina. Together. I saw it on one of those entertainment programs. That was quite a kiss you laid on her. And yeah, congratulations on winning the French Open, too," his mother said, excitedly.

"Yeah, well, to me, I know, she is the bigger prize," he said. He looked at Cristina across the table as he said with a big smile. "I am really happy, mom."

"So when are you going to bring her home as your official girlfriend, now?" Bea said.

"Soon, I think. We're heading back to the States tomorrow because I want to take about two weeks off," he said. "Maybe we can take a trip up north to see you guys but no promises."

"Okay, son," Bea said. "Good luck." He hung up the phone. "That was mom. She wanted to know if we could make a trip to Vermont to see them," he said.

"It will be up to you," she said. "You do have a couple of meetings in New York. So if you want to squeeze in a trip to your parents, you can probably do it."

"What do you mean 'you'? I meant the both of us. We can go up together," he said. "My parents would love to see you."

"Oh, I thought that maybe I could go and see my parents," she said. "I haven't seen them since the Christmas holidays."

"Well, we can make some time to go see both sets of parents," he said. "Cristina, we are a couple and now, everyone knows it. We can make these trips, together, now." She nodded.

"I was thinking that since everyone knows we are a couple, you can stop booking separate rooms for us. You can just stay in my room. Plus you can book us both in first class, when we are traveling," he said. "See there are advantages to being out in the open, now." She blinked. She was so used to booking separate arrangements for both him and her. She needed to get used to this.

Just then, her phone rang. It was her mother. "Hi, mom," she said.

"Hello, Cristina," Helen said. "Your father was reading the news on the Internet and he came across a very interesting picture of you and your boss lip-locked in a kiss, after the French Open."

"Um, yeah, mom, that happened," Cristina confirmed.

"So are you telling me that you and your boss are sleeping together?" Helen said, a little bit incredulous. "I knew something like this was going to happen. I warned your father but he said that you needed to get out there and see the world. Now, you're sleeping with your boss. What kind of girl did I raise?"

"It's not like that, mom," Cristina protested. Owen was listening, intently. He could tell it was not going well with her mother.

"Well, then, tell me what it is like," Helen said. "I have the neighbors calling me and asking me what kind of services my daughter is offering her boss. Everyone has seen the picture."

"We're in a relationship," Cristina answered, softly. "He is my boyfriend. It is a real relationship with feelings. It is not just some physical relationship, even though that it is part of it."

"Oh, I see," Helen said. "I still don't like it, Cristina. We send you off on a job and you end up, sleeping with your boss. It just doesn't look right at all."

"Okay, mom. We're coming home to the States for two weeks. Owen wants to take a little break. We would like to come to visit you and dad," Cristina said.

"Fine, Cristina. This is still your home and you are welcome home at any time," Helen said.

"Owen, too?" Cristina asked, a little unsure.

"Yes, he can come, too," Helen said. "When you get here, I think that we are going to have a long discussion about this."

"Okay,mom," Cristina said and she hung up the phone. She let out a big breath.

"So I gather that did not go too well," Owen said. She nodded. "She tells me that the neighbors are asking what kind of services I am providing for my boss," she said.

"How dare they? Who are those nosy neighbors?" Owen said. "This is a real relationship. Okay, you may have started off as my assistant but you are also my girlfriend. We would have just to convince them of this."

* * *

The next day, they headed off to the airport. There were a couple of photographers who took their picture. When they boarded the plane, they separated with Cristina going to Economy and Owen to First Class. He had asked whether there were any empty seats in First Class, so he could get her upgraded. The flight was full and they had to sit, separately. When they got to New York, there were more photographers who took pictures of them. Cristina found it very intrusive and irritating. The car service was waiting to whisk them to Owen's Hamptons estate. Marguerite was there to greet them at the door. She had prepared their individual rooms but she too had seen that picture of her boss and his assistant.

"Will Cristina be in your room from now on?" she asked Owen, quietly. "I wasn't sure, so I prepared both your room and her room."

"Yes," Owen said. "She will be in my room from now on." Marguerite smiled. She was glad for her boss that things had progressed between them. It had been clear the last time she saw them was that he loved the girl. With his reputation, she had never thought that he would settle down but the girl had clearly stolen his heart.

"So will you be doing anything special for your birthday?" she asked. His birthday was coming up in three days, so this was also one of the reasons he wanted to take a break. He was going to be 27 years old. It would be nice to spend his birthday with his girlfriend.

"I don't know as yet, Marguerite. I will talk to Cristina about it," he said. He took their suitcases out of the car and carried them to his room. Cristina followed him into the house. He just assumed she had followed him to his bedroom. He turned around to speak to her but she wasn't there. Then, he heard another bedroom door close. She had gone into her former bedroom, thinking that she was still going to stay in there. He shook his head and opened the door to her bedroom. He found her lying on the bed, hugging a pillow.

"Um, what are you doing in here?" he asked.

"Taking a rest. Feeling a bit tired after the traveling," she said.

"I don't mean that," he responded. "This isn't your bedroom, anymore."

"Huh?" she said. "But all of my stuff is in here. All of my clothes and personal belongings are in this bedroom."

"Well, you can choose to bring across some of your stuff or leave it here, if you wish, but you are sleeping in my bedroom, from now on," he said. She blinked. Everything was happening so fast, she thought. He helped her up from the bed and led her to his bedroom. As soon as she got there, she collapsed on to the bed. He grinned as he got in next to her and asked, "So what are we going to do on my birthday?"

She opened her eyes and whispered, "Your birthday?"

"Yes, it is in three days. I am going to be 27," he told her. Her eyes opened wider. She could not sleep, now. He had made such a big fuss over her birthday. Now it was her turn to do something special for him.

"What do you want to do?" she asked, hoping he would give her a hint.

"Oh, you don't have to make a big fuss," he said. Those were the same words that she had said, when it was her birthday. Good grief, she thought. She hadn't even bought him a birthday present. If only he had told her this sooner. Owen closed his eyes to take a nap, while Cristina was wide awake. Her brain went into overdrive as she wondered what she could do. She gazed at sleeping Owen, before she slipped out of the bed and ran down the stairs to find the housekeeper.

"Marguerite, it is Owen's birthday in a couple of days. What are we going to do?" she shrieked. Marguerite gave her a knowing smile.

"Okay, I thought you would come to me. We can start by doing this," Marguerite said. The younger woman listened, intently.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your thoughts and comments. Thanks for taking the time to do so.**


	25. Chapter 25 Owen's birthday

It was Owen's birthday. He woke up early because he had a whole bunch of meetings with some of his sponsors in the city. Cristina was still asleep with her head on his arm. As he removed his arm from under her head, she murmured and turned away.

He brushed his teeth, took a shower and changed his clothes. He smiled at Cristina's sleeping form. He sat on the edge of the bed and gently shook her awake. She reluctantly opened her eyes and said in a raspy voice, "Owen."

"Just wanted to let you know that I am headed in the city for a bunch of meetings. I probably won't be back until around 6 this evening," he said. He kissed her on the forehead and left the bedroom. She closed her eyes, once again.

He went down to the kitchen, where Marguerite had already laid out his breakfast. "Good morning, Mr. Hunt and happy birthday, too."

"Why, thank you, Marguerite," he said. "I left Cristina to sleep in so she should be up in a while. "

"So you will be gone for most of the day?" she asked.

"Yes, I should be home around 6 p.m.," Owen said. He was hoping to get home to a quiet dinner with Cristina for his birthday.

"That is fine, sir," she said. After Owen had his breakfast, she cleared away his plates and watched him as he drove away. As soon as he was gone, she heard the thunder of Cristina's feet running down the stairs.

"He's gone!" she came screaming into the kitchen.

"I know, Cristina. You don't have to scream like that," Marguerite said, with a grin. She could see that the young woman was excited.

"So let's go through what we have to do, today," Cristina said.

"Okay, I am going to the grocery to pick up anything I need to make Mr. Hunt's favorite dishes," Marguerite said. "I made arrangements for the Tobias twins and the Malcolm boys to help us put up all of the paper lanterns. But they can't do that until you go to the store and pick those up."

"Yes, yes, I am going to do so. I am going to pick up the paper lanterns. I called yesterday and they have them, ready for me. Then, I am going to pick up his present. They said it came in yesterday afternoon. Then, I will pick up his cake at the bakers," Cristina replied.

"What about some breakfast first, Cristina? You will run yourself ragged without any food," Marguerite said. Cristina lit up at the suggestion of food. She could never turn down breakfast made by Marguerite's own hands. Marguerite was one of the best cooks ever. Even better than her own mom but she would never tell Helen that. She sat down and had a wonderful breakfast, before she was off to town. She stopped at the hardware and picked up the paper lanterns. Doug, the hardware guy, said, "That's quite a number of paper lanterns. Throwing a party?"

"Kinda, sorta," Cristina said. "Thanks for all of the help."

Then, she made her way to the music store. Laurence, the music store guy, had a serious crush on Cristina, even though he knew her romantic interests lay elsewhere. He, too, had seen the picture of her and Owen Hunt in the newspapers. "So the package came in and I had made them do rush special delivery," he said, handing over the package to her.

"You had it gift-wrapped for me. That is so wonderful, Laurence. Thank you," she said. "And thank you for all of your help in choosing it. I don't know a thing about this." She gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. Laurence blushed, profusely.

Then, she went to the town bakery, Celia's Cakes which was known for making spectacular cakes for the Hampton residents. Celia, the head baker, was there. "Ah, Cristina, here to pick up your cake. We did the lettering as you asked." Cristina stared at the cake; it was better than she had ever imagined. "It's beautiful, Celia."

"Thank you, Cristina. I hope you two enjoy the cake. Tell Mr. Hunt happy birthday," Celia said.

"I will," Cristina said, as she took the cake into the car. All of her shopping was done. She needed to get back to the estate to start preparations. She gave Marguerite a call.

"How are you doing at the grocers, Marguerite?" Cristina asked. Marguerite answered, "Doing fine. I got the freshest lobsters. I will be home in about 15 minutes and then get started with the preparations."

Cristina looked at the time. It was close to lunchtime and they hadn't done anything significant as yet. "I am going home. Are the boys waiting?"

"Yes," Marguerite said. "I promised them lunch so they will all show up." Cristina hurried home. They had little more than six hours to get everything ready for Owen. When she got there, the teenaged neighbor boys were already there, and so was Marguerite. "Okay, boys, let's get started. Cristina has all of the paper lanterns. I am going to start food preparations. Will be out with a few sandwiches in a bit."

"Sandwiches, Marguerite?" Joey Malcolm protested. "I thought we were going to get a proper lunch."

"You have not seen my sandwiches, Joey Malcolm," Marguerite said. "I promise you will like them. So just do what Cristina says." The four boys followed Cristina to the back of the house.

"Okay, so we are going to string paper lanterns all around the pool area, as well as the path leading to the gazebo and the gazebo itself," Cristina said. "I don't think that should take us too long with the five of us."

"You're going to help?" one of the boys, Jeffrey Malcolm asked, guffawing loudly as he said it.

"Yes, what's the matter?" she asked. "I've got two hands."

"I think it is best you supervise. You are a little on the short side. It would be a strain for you to put up the lanterns," one of the tall, blonde twins said. Cristina could not tell the Tobias twins apart. She knew one was called Harry and the other was Patrick.

"I can stand on a chair," she countered. But it seemed the four boys were not going to allow her to help. Over the next two hours, they put up the paper lanterns in all of the designated areas. When lit, the lanterns were going to look absolutely fabulous. After their hard work, the boys were served club sandwiches and fries, along with tall, cool glasses of lemonade. Marguerite and Cristina profusely thanked them and sent them on their way.

Cristina was in charge of decorating the gazebo and laying out the table with fine tablecloth linen, candles, flowers, and table settings for two. It looked sophisticated and elegant. She went and checked on Marguerite, who said that she was doing fine and didn't need any help. She told Cristina to go up and start getting pretty for Owen. Cristina gave Marguerite a hug, "You are the best, Marguerite." The housekeeper smiled, as she watched the young lady go up the stairs.

Marguerite loved and respected Mr. Hunt. He was a good and generous boss. She knew that the girl made Mr. Hunt very happy and she was pleased about that. She would help in any way to get him on a more stable footing with the woman he loved. She greatly suspected that Mr. Hunt would marry the young Ms. Yang, eventually.

Cristina took a long, luxurious, relaxing bath. She hoped Owen would like what she and Marguerite did for him. She toweled off and rubbed lotion all over her body, before putting on her perfume. She changed into a blue dress. It was very pretty, spring-like choice. She put on a pair of sandals and she was ready. Marguerite had completed the meal and had already transferred them to the warming trays that they had set up in the gazebo. "Everything is ready, Cristina," Marguerite said. "I will await and greet Mr. Hunt. He should be back in five minutes. He is very prompt. "

"Thank you, Marguerite," Cristina said. In her hand was Owen's present. When she got to the gazebo, she hid it under the table. The tablecloth was long enough to hide it quite nicely. She would give it to him, when the time was ready.

Marguerite was right. Owen came promptly as she predicted. "Mr. Hunt, good to see you. Why don't you go upstairs, have a nice shower and change into the clothes I laid out for you on the bed?"

"What?" Owen said, a little surprised. "Where's Cristina?"

"Just do what I say, Mr. Hunt," she said.

"Okay," he said. Clearly, something had been planned for his birthday. He wondered what the little minx had done. He ran upstairs to his bedroom, noted the white linen shirt and khaki trousers that Marguerite had placed on his bed. "Casual and spring-like," he said. He was getting a little bit excited about whatever they had planned for him.

He took a quick shower, toweled off and changed into the clothes. He raked his fingers through his still damp hair. He thought he looked presentable enough and headed down the stairs, where Marguerite was waiting.

"My instruction for you is to just head out to the back. Just follow the lights," Marguerite said, with a huge smile. "Okay," Owen said, returning the smile. As he headed to the kitchen, all he could see were all of these lights in the backyard. He opened the patio door and stared out at the pool, which was lit by these beautiful, multi-colored paper lanterns. It was so festive and pretty. He noticed that the lanterns led to the path leading to the gazebo. He could make out Cristina in a blue dress in the gazebo, which was also lit with lots of paper lanterns.

As he got to the gazebo, she handed him a drink. "Happy birthday, Owen."

"Thank you," he said, as he gave her a kiss. "You did all of this for me?" He would have been okay if they just had a simple dinner but to have her go to all of this trouble made him feel great. Maybe she really loved him, he thought.

"Yeah," she said. "I don't have much money but I wanted to make it special for you, like you made my birthday special for me. Plus I have to give credit where credit is due. Marguerite did all of the cooking. It could not be left up to me because nothing would have been done. I am going to get her a present to thank her for all of her hard work."

"You've made the backyard look so beautiful and festive," he said. "And our dinner table looks so pretty with the flowers and the candles."

"So are you ready for dinner?" she asked, as she pointed out the warming trays tucked in one corner of the gazebo. "It is a four-course meal. "

"Yes, I am very hungry," he said. She led him to his chair, while she served the first course of a shrimp cocktail appetizer. This was followed by a seafood bisque and then the lobster tails entrée served with vegetables and mashed potatoes.

"Oh my God," Owen said, as he finished his lobster tail. "Marguerite has outdone herself. This meal was magnificent."

"You have to make room for dessert. It is your birthday cake," she said. She brought the cake she had picked up from the bakers that morning. "It's a vanilla bean triple-layered cake with a vanilla custard and cream cheese frosting."

"Ooh, that sounds very caloric," he said. "The cake looks almost too pretty to cut. Serve me a slice, baby."

"No, you have to blow out your candles first," she said. She stuck in 27 candles into the cake and lit each one of them. "Now, blow, Owen. Make a wish." He closed his eyes and made his wish. Then, he blew out his candles. "Give me a kiss," he said. She came and sat on his lap and kissed him. They continued to kiss. Then, she suddenly stopped. "I have your present for you." Then he saw her get under the table. "Where the heck are you going, Cristina?" Then, she pulled out the odd shaped present and handed it to him.

"Open it," she commanded. As he tore open the paper, he gasped as he saw the guitar case. "A guitar? How did you know I played the guitar?"

"I took a page out of your book. I called your mother. She told me that you played the guitar as a teenager and you were actually good at it and was even in a band. Bill told you that you had to make a choice between the tennis and the music," she said. "You gave away your guitar when you decided to focus on the tennis. Laurence from the music store helped me choose it and got it in special delivery for me."

He opened the case and took out the guitar. "It is a Gibson. You must have spent quite a bit of money on this," he said. She nodded. "A bit." He knew it was more than "a bit."

"Thank you, honey," he said, as he gave her another kiss.

"So play something," she said. It had been a long time, since Owen had played. He did a few practice strums before he started playing a song that was a huge hit a couple of years ago. Cristina recognized the tune but only remembered the artist and the song when he started singing, "If You're not the One" by Daniel Bedingfield. He chose that song because it effectively said what he felt for her. She listened attentively and enthusiastically to him singing. She never knew that he possessed such a voice. When he was done, she was shrieking and clapping. "You have an amazing voice," she said. "You sound so good."

"Thank you," he said. "It has been a long time. It was a wonderful surprise."

"Sing some more," she demanded. "Okay," he said. "Let's see what I can remember." Then, he sang another song.

It was getting late and Cristina said she needed to clean up everything. "Let me help you," he said.

"No, it's your birthday. You don't have to help," she told him.

"I want to help. With me helping, we can clear it away, a lot faster and then we can go to bed," he said, raising an eyebrow. "That's where you can give me the rest of your present."

"Who says there is more?" she teased. "Okay, let's clean this up in a jiffy and then, we can go to bed."

As he cleared away the dishes, Owen looked at her, "You didn't ask me what my wish was."

"You're not supposed to tell anybody," she said. "Or it won't come true."

"I want to tell you because it concerns you," he told her. "I wished that you would love me because I love you." He smiled at her and studied her expression.

"Yes, I love you, too," she admitted. He reached over and pulled her closer to him, as he cupped her face in his hands and gave her a deep, lingering kiss.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your comments. Thanks for taking the time to do so.**


	26. Chapter 26 Visits to the parents

Cristina was a little nervous. She and Owen were driving to his parents' house. He had rented a car at the airport and they were driving to the Christmas tree farm. Just seeing the farmhouse made Owen smile. He parked in the driveway and took their bags out of the trunk. He opened the door and yelled, "Mom, we're here." Bea came running out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Baby boy," she screamed, as she gave Owen a huge hug.

"Hi, Mom," Owen said. His mother always made a big fuss, whenever he made it home to Vermont. "Cristina!" she shrieked, as she gave the young woman a hug. "So good to see you." Cristina said that it was lovely to see her.

"Where's Dad?" Owen asked. "Oh, he has just gone around to staying with Katie's boys, while she and Keith have gone off to the doctor," his mom replied.

"Why? What's wrong with Katie?" Owen asked, a little alarmed.

"Oh, nothing is wrong with Katie," his mom said. "She thinks she's pregnant, again. She hasn't even taken a test. She says she just knows. She already has gone through four pregnancies, so she really must know."

"Oh, my," Owen said. "I wonder if it is going to be another boy, this time. Or maybe, she is finally going to get her girl."

"Whatever it is, she is prepared. If it is a boy, she is going to name Ezra and if it is a girl, she will be Eliza," Bea said. "I just want a happy and healthy grandchild." She looked over at her son and his girlfriend and wondered what their babies would look like. Owen noticed her look and asked, "What are you thinking about, mom?"

"Oh, just wondering what a grandbaby from you and Cristina would look like," Bea said. Cristina immediately looked taken aback by her words. Owen noticed the change in her expression. "Mom, Cristina and I have only been together a couple of months. I think it is a little too early for us to be having such thoughts." He hoped he had reassured Cristina, in spite of his mother's over-zealousness.

"Don't mind me, Cristina," Bea said, trying to backtrack a little bit. She didn't want to the girl to feel uncomfortable, especially since she was pretty darn sure that Owen was extremely serious about her. "Just thinking out loud. You two take your time. There is no hurry. Oh, it seems that Moe is back. That means Katie is back from the doctor's." Bea had heard the sound of her husband's truck. She was glad for his appearance.

"Hello, Bea," Moe said, as he entered the house. "Whose car is that in the driveway?" Then, he spotted Owen and Cristina in the living room. "Oh, I guess it's your car, son. Come give your old man a hug." Owen went across and hugged his dad. "You, too, Cristina," Moe added. Cristina came across to him and he enveloped her in a big bear hug.

"So how was your drive, Owen?" he asked. "Fine, not much traffic," Owen replied. "So what's new with Katie and the kids?"

"Well, the kids were a handful for their grandpa Moe. Katie has confirmed that there will be another little one, joining the brood. She was right about the way her body was feeling. I guess when you've been pregnant four times before, you just know it," Moe said. "They are quite happy about it but obviously, they are hoping that it will be a little girl."

"I will give her a call or maybe, Cristina and I will visit them," Owen said.

"You do that, son," Moe said. "Katie will love to see you. So how long will you and Cristina be here?"

"Only for a couple of days," Cristina answered. "Then, we are going to see my parents in New Hampshire."

"Cristina, let's go to our bedroom," Owen said. "If you want to freshen up and then, we can drive across to Katie's house."

"Okay," she said, as she followed him to their bedroom. His bedroom never looked this good, he thought. There were fresh new bed sheets, as well as fresh flowers on the bedside table. The room smelt like a meadow of flowers.

"Whoa," he said. "Mom really went out to make sure that you feel really welcome. She doesn't do all of this for me."

"Yes, it is prettier than the last time we were here. She even took down some of your childish stuff and put up some pictures," Cristina noted, as she headed into the bathroom. "You want to take a shower with me?" She looked around, wickedly. Owen started stripping off his clothes, immediately and followed her into the shower. He let the water run, as he pushed her against the wall. Their lips and tongues hungrily found each other's as they passionately kissed through the steam and water.

"I've always wanted to do this," he whispered. "Have sex while my parents are in the house. I guess it is some sort of unfulfilled teenage rebellion on my part."

"So I am letting you live out your teenaged fantasies," she whispered back. "Well, okay, then, fuck my brains out, right now." They both chuckled, as he pushed her legs up and allowed her to wrap them around him. As he pounded into her, their groans and moans of pleasure were muffled by the sound of the running water.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Bea and Moe were sipping tea and munching on muffins. "What do you think they're doing so long?" Moe asked.

"Probably having sex," Bea said. They both looked at each other and laughed out loud.

* * *

Cristina and Owen found their way to Katie's house, where it sounded like chaos was reigning supreme. The sound of little boys shouting at the top of their voices was emanating from behind the front door. Owen pressed the doorbell. "I'll get it," a very young voice screamed. The door was flung open by the youngest of Katie's children, Daniel.

"Hey, it's Uncle Owen!" he shouted to his brothers. It was like a stampede as the three other boys rushed to the door to give their uncle a hug. They dragged him into the house. Cristina followed them and closed the door. Katie came running to the living room. "I thought I heard a ruckus," she said, as she removed the boys from off her brother. "Hey, Owen," she said, giving him a hug. "Hey, Cristina," she said, as she gave her brother's girlfriend a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, Katie, I hear congratulations are in order," Owen said. "Fifth one on the way."

"Yes, I just knew it," Katie said. "Why I am such a fertile Myrtle? I thought I was done when I had Daniel."

"How did you know?" Cristina asked. "Were you sick? Did you feel strange?"

"Well, I wasn't sick. I just knew. Also, not getting your period for two months is a definite signal that something was happening. So, folks, I am 10 weeks pregnant," Katie said. "Hoping for a girl but with my luck, I will get another boy."

"Hey, Cristina," Adam said. "Do you want to see my new turtle? I got it last week."

"Sure," Cristina said, following the oldest boy. The rest of the children followed them to the backyard.

"So, I guess I could say congratulations to you, too. You got her," Katie said. "When I saw those pictures online, I nearly flipped. I am very happy for you, Owen."

"I am happy for myself," Owen said. "I love her and she told me that she loves me. So things are going well."

"So, can the Hunts expect a wedding in the near future?" Katie said, grinning from ear to ear. "I would have to find a flattering maternity dress for the wedding."

"Well, I don't know how soon it will be, but I am hoping it will eventually head into that direction," Owen said. "She is a little wary of all of the press. We're having a respite now because we are up here, but when we get back out on the circuit, it could get brutal with the photographers. I am used to it but I am not sure how ready she will be."

"I am sure she will be able to cope," Katie said.

"I hope so," Owen said. "I really hope so."

* * *

They spent three enjoyable days with the Hunts before they drove off to the Yangs' home in New Hampshire. Owen found Cristina to be even more nervous than when they were going to his parents' house.

"What's the matter?" he asked, as he reached over and held her hand.

"I am a little anxious about what my parents are going to say. They already are against the relationship," Cristina said.

"They like me, don't they? At least, I thought so from Christmas," he said. He knew it was going to be an uphill battle to win over the Yangs about their relationship.

"That was when you were just my boss and they had to be nice to you," she said. "Now, you are my boyfriend, in addition to be my boss, so they might not be as nice, especially since they disapprove of this relationship."

Owen pulled up in front of the house. It was a lovely house, not very large, but very well-kept with flowers lining the front path. "It's so pretty, Cristina. All of the flowers are a great touch."

"Yeah, that is my father's hard work. He loves to garden. The backyard is the same thing," she said. "He lives for spring and summer, when he can do outdoor gardening work. He is always sad in the fall, when everything starts to die," she said. She pulled out a key and opened the door. "Mom, dad, it's me, Cristina. I am home."

"Coming!" they heard Helen yell from the kitchen. She came out with a beaming smile. Maybe things were looking up, Owen thought, when he saw her smile. "Come, baby girl, give me a hug." Cristina did as she was told and hugged her mother.

"Owen," Helen said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I hope you are well. I see you won another big tournament."

"I am doing fine, Mrs. Yang," Owen said. "Where is Mr. Yang?"

"He's out back in his garden. I will get him," Helen said. She left, leaving Owen and Cristina alone in the living room.

"I think it is going well, so far," Owen said. Cristina had a less confident expression. She was going to say something but Helen and Burt stepped into the living room. Cristina ran to her dad and gave him a hug. Burt offered his hand for Owen to shake.

"Nice to see you again, Mr. Yang," Owen said, as he heartily shook the older man's hand. "Likewise, son," Burt answered.

"Why don't you put your bags in your rooms? Cristina, you can sleep in your bedroom, while Owen can take the guest bedroom. Would you show him the guest bedroom, Cristina?" Helen said. Owen gave Cristina an incredulous look. As she showed him the guest room, he closed the door behind them and said, "We're going to have to sleep in separate bedrooms? I can't believe this," he said, throwing down his bag on the floor in disgust.

"Shh," Cristina said. "They are already against this relationship, so just don't make waves. I want my parents to approve of us being together. They are my parents and they have been the most significant relationship in my life, till you."

"Okay, just know that I am only doing this for you," he said, as he sat on the bed. She went and sat on his lap. "It's only for two days, Owen. We can survive this." She gave him a kiss before she leapt out of his lap and said, "Going to my room." He groaned as she left. He didn't have much time to sulk when he heard Helen say, "Dinner, folks."

Owen got up, washed his hands in the bathroom and went out to the dining room. Cristina was already there, waiting. It seemed that Helen had gone to a great deal of trouble. The meal looked fabulous.

"This is quite a spread, Mrs. Yang," Owen said, appreciatively.

"Why, thank you," Helen said, beaming. That set the tone for the duration of the dinner, where the four of them engaged in pleasant conversation about Cristina and Owen's travels around the world. Owen also found time to compliment Burt on his beautiful gardens. Burt looked very pleased.

It was during dessert that the real conversation was going to start. Owen could feel it in the air. Helen suddenly became anxious and shot her husband a questioning look. Owen caught it, immediately. They wanted to talk. Burt cleared his throat before he spoke.

"Well, I know we have come here to talk about this new relationship between the two of you," he started. Cristina looked stricken, while Owen felt anxiety.

"Burt and I have discussed this at length, since the news broke about your relationship. We would have preferred you told us about it first, rather than read it online in some gossip site," Helen said. "It has caused us a lot of embarrassment and questions from the neighbors."

"Um, yes," Burt said. "Helen and I have come to one conclusion. We love Cristina very much and we don't want to see her hurt in any way. We think that Cristina should leave your employ and come back home to live with us."

The silence that followed was deafening.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your thoughts and comments. I do appreciate when you take the time to do so.**


	27. Chapter 27 Adjustment

Owen was speechless. He didn't know what quite to say about this astonishing turn of events. The horror was evident on his face. It was Cristina who spoke.

"Mom, Dad, I love you both very much but I think I am old enough to decide what I want to do with my life," she said. "I am 22 years old. According to the law, I can drink, buy cigarettes, vote and get married without my parent's permission. I am an adult and therefore, I can make my own decisions about my life."

She continued, "I am not going to give up my job as Owen's assistant. I know it has caused you some sort of embarrassment with the neighbors, since we entered a relationship. But I am not just sleeping with my boss. Yes, well, I am sleeping with my boss but not in some sort of terrible way. We are in a real relationship. One with emotions and arguments and happy times. I love him and he loves me." She reached over and grabbed Owen's hand, as she said it. Owen nodded and affirmed, "Yes, I love her very much."

"And if you can't accept him, then maybe, we shouldn't be here," she said, firmly. "Owen, go get our bags; we are checking into a hotel." Owen got up and went and got their bags. Her parents were too stunned to say anything.

"Goodbye, mom, dad," she said, as she and Owen left the house. They got into the car and Owen started driving away.

"Do you know where we're going?" he asked. "Because I am not familiar with your town. And baby, that was really standing up to your parents. I was very surprised." She then suddenly burst into tears.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" he asked. He parked on the side of the road and reached over for her.

"I have never spoken to my parents in that way," she sobbed. "They probably think I am an ungrateful child. The thing is that I am their only child and they've always taken care of me and protected me. I have always been their little girl. They have always viewed me as such. I must have just hurt them so much."

"Oh, but you stood up for yourself. You stood up for me. You stood for us," he said. "And I am so proud of you. We told them that we loved each other and that our relationship was real."

"Yes," she said, between the tears. "But I love mom and dad so much. I don't want to hurt them."

"Cristina, I know you love them but they have to understand you're all grown up, now. They can no longer make decisions for you. You earn your own money; you can take care of yourself. You are not living under their roof, anymore," he said. "It's going to be okay. So stop crying and show me where this hotel is."

"Okay," she said, wiping the tears from her face. "It's just down this road and then you turn about two streets down. It is not a fancy hotel like what you are used to staying. This is a small town and we don't have super-fancy hotels."

"That's okay," he said. "As long as we are together. And it is only for one night, anyway."

So they checked in for the night at the hotel. It was actually a charming hotel – a bed and breakfast inn. Owen asked for the best room and he and Cristina checked into a room on the top floor. Owen was surprised how pretty the room was. "It's a lovely room, Cristina," he said. "Even if it is not a super-fancy hotel, like you say." She threw herself on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

"I knew this was going to be bad," she said. "I just knew it. I guess we go back home to New York in the morning."

"Yeah, we will," he said. "If that is what you want. Do you think you want to try with your parents again, tomorrow? Maybe they would have changed their minds by then." She looked doubtful. So he added, "Only if you want to do so." She nodded. She put out her hand for him and he went to her and kissed her. She pulled him in and wrapped herself around him. He knew that the reason she wanted to make love was because she wanted to feel comforted. He didn't mind because if it would give her solace, he would be very happy to do it.

The next day, he woke up with her in his arms. Even after they made love, she was still sad. She cried intermittently throughout the night, until she finally fell asleep. He knew she was hurting. He gently shook her awake.

"Do you want to get breakfast before we drive to the airport? We have time," he said. She opened her eyes and stretched like a small puppy. He found it rather endearing.

"Yes," she said. "Breakfast first." She got up and looked back, slyly at him. "Shower with me, Mr. Hunt." He got up and willingly followed her. Some of their best sexy times were always in the shower. After a round of super slippery sex, they were in a very good mood, as they came laughing out of the bathroom. Then, there was a knock on the door. Cristina and Owen looked at each other, a little surprised. They weren't expecting anyone.

"We didn't order room service," Owen said, loudly.

"It's not room service," a familiar voice said. "It's me."

"Dad?" Cristina said. She dug into the closet for hotel robes. She threw one for Owen and put the other on herself, since they were both naked. She checked herself in the mirror. Her hair was damp and uncombed but she had no time to do anything about it. She opened the door. "Dad, what are you doing here?" Her father observed the fact that his daughter and her boyfriend were wearing robes and were probably naked under them. His mind did not want to go there.

"Cristina, your mom and I had a very long discussion, last night. We stayed up all night and we want to apologize to both you and Owen," he said.

"Okay, come on in, dad, let me close this door," she said. Burt stepped in the room but felt very uncomfortable, there. He felt like he was intruding on them.

"As I was saying, we are sorry about what transpired at the house, yesterday. Yes, Cristina, we understand that you are now an adult and can make your own decisions and it was wrong of us to impose what we think upon you. You say that you and Owen have a real relationship. I am glad about that," he said.

"Thank you, dad," she said. "It means a whole lot to Owen and me."

"Well, your mom and I would like you to come back to the house," Burt said. "You came to spend time with us and we would like you and Owen to do just that." Cristina broke out in a grin and hugged her dad. Owen was happy for her. He was also happy for himself because the Yangs were accepting their relationship. It was a victory for all of them.

"So I guess that means a yes," Burt said, holding his daughter, tightly. Owen and Cristina checked out of the hotel and headed back to the Yangs' home. Over the next two days, Owen learned a lot about gardening from Cristina's dad. He also helped him collect honey in the small apiary they had in a corner of the large backyard. He found that he greatly liked the older man. He hoped that Burt liked him back, too.

Cristina and her mom spent the two days, visiting neighbors. She recognized the whole point of doing this was to ensure that they knew that she and Owen were in a relationship and she was not doing sexual favors for her boss. Sometimes, they made Owen come with them. The mission was accomplished as everyone became fully aware that Owen was Cristina's boyfriend.

* * *

After they left New Hampshire, they headed back to New York. From there, they were going to do a couple of grass tournaments before heading to London for Wimbledon. The grass tournaments were to get him in shape for that Grand Slam tournament. He was the defending champion. He knew Pablo would be gunning for him at Wimbledon. Earlier in the year, Pablo had been the defending champion at the Australian Open and the French Open but Owen had managed to take those titles away from him. Owen was going to do his best to hang on to his Wimbledon title.

When they got to London, they checked in at their hotel and then, they did their usual trek to the venue. Owen always did this before a big tournament. Cristina always knew that was where she could catch up with her friends, Vernon and Charlie. She hadn't seen either of them, since the French Open, since their bosses had a different schedule from Owen.

She saw them and ran to hug them. "Oh, so you couldn't tell us that you and your boss were getting it on," Vernon said.

"Yeah, " Charlie said. "We had to see it online. What kind of friend are you? Holding back on us like that."

"Oh, come on guys, you're not going to give me a hard time about this," she said. "If you are, I can't hang around with you. The photographers are giving me hell and it would be nice to just be with you guys and not think about it."

"Oh, come on, we are just joshing with you," Vernon said. "I guess we can't blame you. Your boss is a handsome man."

"Come to think of it, no wonder he kept looking out for you at those parties. It all becomes clearer now. So at tonight's party, will you be his assistant or his date?" Charlie asked. "Will you be hanging out with the guests or Vernon and me?"

"Oh, I didn't even think about that. I guess I can split my time with him and some of the time with you guys," she said. "How can I miss our catty little chats about all of the guests?"

"But wait a minute, you will be one of the guests, now. Vernon and I will diss your dress so badly," Charlie said, laughing.

"Don't you dare, Charlie. Remember I know what you look like naked when you took off your swim trunks in the pool in France," she said, giggling as she remembered.

"Oh, yeah," Charlie said. "Now we know why you didn't want anything to do with me. You're with your Mr. Hunt."

"Ha," she said. "Anyway, see you guys, tonight. We're going back to the hotel, now." She told her friends goodbye and rushed back to meet Owen. "Ready?" he said. As they left the venue, there were photographers who took their picture, as they left. Cristina gritted her teeth and gave a fake smile to the cameras. Owen had told her to always smile, even if she didn't feel like it.

Later that night, they both dressed up for the party. He wore a dark suit and red tie, while Cristina was in a burgundy cocktail dress. He complimented about how pretty she looked. As they stepped out of their car, they were blinded by the flashes of the cameras. "Just smile, Cristina, just smile," Owen said, as he helped her out of the car. Cristina wasn't quite sure what she was seeing but she was certainly hearing them say her name. With a frozen smile on her face, she faced them. Owen whisked her into the hotel where the party was being held.

As soon as they got into the party, she immediately looked for Vernon and Charlie. They waved at her from where they were sitting. She was going to go over to them, when Owen pulled her back. "Where are you going?" he asked. She gestured with her head that she was going to go over to her friends.

"Cristina," he said. "You have to stay with me and mingle with the other guests. You are not my assistant, here. You are my date." He handed her a glass of wine from a passing waiter. "Okay, I am going to introduce you to everyone." She nodded and looked woefully over at her friends, mouthing an apology. She spent the next two hours, chit-chatting with strangers she didn't even know. She wished she could be with Vernon and Charlie. They were always a barrel of laughs. Finally, she got a break from it all. Owen had gone to the men's room, so she rushed across to her friends.

"Whoa, I thought you were too busy to hang with us," Vernon said. "Charlie and I totally dissed your dress."

"Oh, please," she said. "I know I look hot. I wish I could stay with you guys. It is so much more fun with you than all of these people I don't know."

"Well, face it, Cristina, this is your life, now. You are no longer one of us," Charlie said, softly. "You're one of them. By the way, your boyfriend is looking for you." She looked around and saw Owen scanning the crowd, searching for her. She sighed. "I guess I better go. We will talk, tomorrow, guys." She went across to Owen and asked if they could leave. He nodded. He knew she had enough of this. As they left, there were more photographers outside waiting, as they got into their car. When they got into the car, she was silent. He knew she hated the photographers. He grabbed her hand and kissed it.

* * *

The next few days were pure torture for Cristina. The photographers were not only taking pictures of her and Owen together but also of her, when she was alone. But it wasn't just the press, there were also normal people who would pull out their phones and take her picture, without asking. She wasn't happy at all. Then, came the day, when she finally cracked. She had been waiting for Owen, who had just won his quarter-final match to make it to the semi-finals. A couple of photographers came to take her picture, as she waited. She put on her usual fake smile, until one of the photographers came too close to her and knocked out everything she was carrying in her hands. As she stared at her scattered belongings on the ground, she screamed. "Why don't you all fucking leave me alone?" It was the start of her meltdown.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your comments and reviews. Thanks for being kind enough to leave your reviews.**


	28. Chapter 28 Fallout

She squatted down to pick up her belongings. She was so angry that she could scream. But it was only when she saw her cracked IPad that the hot tears started to well up. Her whole body started to shake with rage.

Owen looked around for Cristina but he could not see her. He had told her to wait for him, right here. Then, he noticed the crowd of photographers. He wondered what poor soul could be at the end of their lenses. Could it be….., he thought. He pushed his way through the photographers and noticed the small figure, picking up her belongings. Her whole body was shaking and she seemed to be crying. Worse yet, nobody was even helping her pick up her stuff.

He pushed his way through to her and held on to her shaking body. "Hey, it's me," he said. She turned around and buried her face into his shirt. Owen yelled, "Can you please just give us some privacy, here?" There was some murmuring before the photographers left.

"Hey, it's okay," he said. "They're all gone." She lifted up her head. Her make-up was all streaked on her face. "What happened?"

"I was just standing there, waiting for you and then one of them just came too close and knocked everything I had out of my hands. I cursed, Owen. I did. I am sure it will be in the gossip rags about what I said. Then, I tried to pick up my stuff and still, they kept taking photos. I found my IPad and the screen was cracked. I couldn't help it. I started to cry," she said.

"It's okay," he said. "I will get you another one."

"But I bought that with my own money," she said. "And now, it is ruined." She stuffed the rest of her belongings into her bag.

"Come on, let's go back to the hotel," he said. As they left, they could hear the cameras going again. Cristina glared at them.

As they got back to their hotel room, Owen opened his laptop. "Well, let's see the damage," he said. As expected, Cristina's meltdown was already on the net under the headline, "Top tennis player's girlfriend freaks out" or "Champion tennis player's girl has major meltdown." They went to different websites but the pictures were all of the same of her crying and picking up her stuff off the ground. Some even had the video of her cursing, though her curse had been bleeped out. Cristina could take it no more and she slammed down the cover of the laptop. She started to cry, again. She felt so embarrassed as the entire world could see her meltdown. As she lay on the bed, weeping, Owen fitted himself around her and held her close like a cocoon. "It's okay, baby. Everyone has one of those, now and then, when you're living in the public eye," he said. That suddenly got her all mad and she pushed him away.

"It's your fault," she said, bitterly. "If you hadn't kissed me in front of everyone after the French Open, then no one would have known. We could have continued having a secret relationship and I would have continued being a nobody. No one would have wanted to take my picture. I would have been just your assistant and no one would have cared two hoots about me. Now, I have not only photographers taking their pictures of me, ordinary people are doing it, now. And there I am with this fake smile on my face, pretending to be nice to everyone. I just can't take it anymore."

Owen got up from the bed. It was no use, talking to her, when she was in this mood. Her phone rang. She reached for it and stared at the screen. "It's my parents," she said. "They're calling because they saw the picture, too." She answered her phone, "Hi, mom. Yeah, you saw the picture and the video. I am horrified, mom."

Owen's phone rang, too. It was his mother. "Hey, Owen. Just saw what happened. Poor Cristina," Bea said in a rush.

"Yeah," Owen said, as he left the room. "She's taking it really hard. She is embarrassed and kinda blames me."

"Why? Why is she blaming you?" Bea asked. Owen sighed. "She said if I could have kept the relationship secret, no one would have been taking her picture and her face wouldn't be across the net. She is really mad at me."

"So what are you going to do?" Owen asked. "I am going to give her some time to cool off. Plus I am going to get her a new IPad at the store. Her IPad screen got cracked during the melee and I promised to get her a new one. Maybe that will help to get me back in her good graces."

He returned about two hours later, with a new Ipad – one that was the latest model with the largest memory. He opened the door to find a mournful looking Cristina with a lot of food in front of her.

"Hey, did you just order the entire room service menu?" he said. She glared at him. "I just wanted some comfort food," she said, as she shoved some mashed potatoes into her mouth. "Also, I am extremely hungry. Is that a crime?"

"I got you something. I know you will feel better," he said, as he handed over his shopping bag.

"You got me an Ipad," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Yeah, how did you know that?" he asked, a little puzzled.

"There was a picture of you at the Apple store on the net," she said. "I had gone to see how many more sites had posted that vile picture of me and then, I saw they posted a picture of you at the Apple store, with the caption that the tennis champ had gone to get his girl a new IPad. The Daily Mail had it."

"Oh, my God," Owen said. "It's really like living in a fish bowl."

"Yup," she said. "They know everything." She dug into the shopping bag and pulled out the IPad box. He found her reading the specs. "You got me the best one. Thank you."

"Yes, anything for my baby," he said. He was hoping that she was no longer treating him like persona non grata and he would get a kiss. He turned her face towards him and she gave him a kiss, for which he was grateful. "Are you hungry?" she asked. "I ordered enough food for four people. I am just stress eating, here."

"Yeah," he said as he sat down. "Let's see what you have there." They ate their dinner. Cristina did not tell Owen that her mother had suggested to her that she come home, if she wanted to get away from the madness that was her and Owen's life. Cristina had told her that she would think about it. Owen and Cristina made love that night but he felt something was off about her. She didn't quite seem like herself.

* * *

Owen had the next day off but they didn't go anywhere, since Cristina was still gun-shy about going out. Even on the day of his semi-final match, she said she wasn't ready to go out there and face the photographers. He said he understood and left. Owen may have understood how she was feeling but he didn't know the depth of her shame and embarrassment. She kept re-living the moment over and over in her mind and the embarrassment would overcome her and she would cry.

It was a tough match for Owen. Usually, he was able to just look at Cristina in the stands and get the strength to carry on. Every time he looked at the stands, he would remember that she wasn't there. Somehow, he had found it within himself to pull out the win. He did it by the skin of his teeth but it was a very uncomfortable win for him. He was just so glad to get out of there and go back to the hotel, where he hoped that Cristina would be there to give him some comfort. He opened the door and called out her name. There was no answer. He dropped his stuff on the floor, when he saw an envelope on one of the pillows on the bed. He ripped it open and his heart fell as he read it.

"Dear Owen,

"I have decided to go home. The embarrassment that I have suffered over the last few days has been immense. I just want to be someplace where no one is bothering to take my picture and I don't have a fake smile on my face, when all I want to do is scream. I decided to just go because I know you would try to stop me and my resolve to leave would disappear.

"I am not leaving you in the lurch because I have arranged with Charlie to take over my duties. His boss is retiring after Wimbledon so he is out of a job. I know this is not the best of circumstances but Charlie promises me he will do a good job. Maybe, it will work out well for you both in the end.

"I have left the assistant's phone and the new IPad on the bedside table. You can give them to him. I will call you when I get home."

That was all she wrote. She was just gone. He could not believe it. How could she do this? He didn't even have time to fully digest this, when there was a knock on the door. He opened the door to see the smiling face of Charlie.

"Charlie," Owen said, glumly. Charlie decided to brush that off. He knew that Mr. Hunt was in shock by the sudden disappearance of Cristina.

"Mr. Hunt, I trust that Cristina has informed you that I will be taking over her duties," Charlie said.

"Yes, she has," Owen said. "When can you start?"

"Immediately, sir," Charlie said. "My boss is out of the tournament, so he no longer needs my services as he has already left. My room is paid up until the end of the tournament so you don't have to worry about that."

"Fine, Charlie, fine," Owen said. He handed him the assistant's phone. "I guess this is yours, now. I will call you when I have something for you." He closed the door, leaned back on it and sunk to the ground. He felt so desolate and alone. He cried.

* * *

When Cristina and her parents arrived from the airport to their house, she went straight to her room and lay on the bed. She knew what she had done had hurt Owen but she couldn't take it anymore. Everywhere where they went, there were these pesky photographers. At least home in New Hampshire, nobody cared about whom she dated.

"You look a little pale, Cristina," Helen said, as she knocked and entered the room. "Sure you are not coming down with something?"

"I am fine, mom," Cristina said. "Maybe I am just tired from all of the traveling."

"Okay, we are not going to take any chances. Maybe the doctor can give you some vitamins," Helen said. Cristina sighed. Her mother was a noted germophobe and hated germs in the house. Cristina went straight to her room and collapsed on the bed. It was a relief to be away from the hoopla that surrounded Owen. She closed her eyes and in two minutes, she fell asleep. She never did call Owen.

* * *

The next day, she and her mom were at the doctor's. After giving blood and urine and being examined by the doctor, Cristina sat in the doctor's office, awaiting Dr. Noland. He was their family doctor, ever since she was a little girl.

Dr. Noland came in and took a look at her results. "I am totally fine, Dr. Noland. I don't know why my mom dragged me here. She is a total hypochondriac."

"Hmmm," Dr. Noland said. "Well, I think it is a good thing that she brought you in."

"Why?" Cristina said. "What's wrong? Am I dying?"

"Oh, good grief, child," Dr. Noland said, shaking his head. "No, you're going to have a baby."

"No, no, that is impossible. I have been having my period," she said. "I told you the date of my last menstrual period. I mean it was a little light but I still had it."

"Some women still have some bleeding, even when they are pregnant," Dr. Noland said.

"But I haven't been sick at all," she said. "I can't be pregnant. I am not even showing."

"Well, have you been having sex?" Dr. Noland asked.

"Yes, but we use birth control. Condoms," she replied. If she was being entirely truthful, she would have mentioned that whenever they had sex in the shower, they never used birth control. Seriously, she thought, who wears a condom when they're having sex in the shower? Maybe he should have, she concluded in her mind.

"Well, one of those condoms was faulty," Dr. Noland said. "So let us do an ultrasound to see how far gone you are. Let's just go in the exam room." She followed him, a little apprehensive. As she lay on the table, she wondered what she was going to do. After all, she had just left to escape Owen's all-too-public life.

"Oh, it looks like about 12 or 13 weeks," the doctor said, doing his measurements.

"Twelve or 13 weeks! I am already past the first trimester. Oh, good God," she said. "How could I not know?"

"Looks like you are due early January," Dr. Noland said. "Maybe even the first week." Cristina was totally shocked.

"So since you didn't know that you are pregnant, that means you haven't had any prenatal care as yet. So we will start you up on the prenatal vitamins," he said. He continued talking but Cristina didn't hear anything he said.

As they drove home, her mother asked, "So did he give you vitamins? I don't want you coming down with the flu or something."

Cristina turned to her mom, "Yeah, mom. He gave me vitamins but not the kind that you're talking about. He gave me prenatal vitamins."

"What the heck for?" Helen said, puzzled. Then, it hit her. "Oh my God, you're pregnant. How far along? Is it Owen's?"

"Of course it is Owen's. What kind of dumb question is that? I am 12 or 13 weeks pregnant. The doctor thinks I am due in early January," Cristina told her mother.

"What? You are already past the first trimester and you didn't know? Jeez," Helen said. She shook her head. "So I guess we are having a baby. Are you going to tell Owen? You already fled because you couldn't take that life, anymore. Are you going to subject your baby to that, too? So what about Owen, are you going to tell him?"

Cristina stared out of the window. "Honestly, I don't know."

* * *

**A/N Please leave your comments and reviews. I always appreciate when you do.**


	29. Chapter 29 Broken

Owen waited for two days for her to call him. He was in a terrible state. Today was the Wimbledon final and his mind was not at ease. He was not in the best shape to handle such an important match.

Out on the court, he felt sluggish and unprepared. His opponent was his familiar rival, Pablo Quinteras. Owen lost the first set, as his service was broken twice. The television commentators were not familiar with this version of Owen Hunt. He was not playing like the world's number one player.

"What is wrong with Hunt, today?" one said. Owen won the second set but just barely, since the set went to tie breaks, with Owen winning it at 8-6. He lost the third set and the fourth set, as Quinteras took the Wimbledon title. When he and Pablo met at the net, Owen said, "Congratulations, Quinteras."

"What was wrong with you today?" Pablo said. "You weren't playing like yourself." Owen gave him a pained look and admitted with one word, "Cristina."

He did not smile at all during the trophy ceremony. He just wanted to get out there. After such a huge loss, Charlie knew that he had to have the car service on standby to take them back to the hotel. They left the stadium, quietly. Owen went straight to his room and collapsed on the bed. Then, his phone rang. It was not a number he recognized. He wondered if some reporter had got a hold of his personal number. He answered the phone. "Hello, whoever this is, I am not in the mood for any press interview."

"Um," Cristina said. "It's not a reporter. It's me."

"Cristina," he said, bitterly. "So you finally decided to call?"

"Well, I was waiting for you to finish the tournament. I didn't want to distract you with our personal problems. I am sorry you lost," she said. He laughed, derisively. "Why do you think I lost, Cristina? I have been a little bit consumed by my personal problems. My girlfriend disappears on me by just leaving me a note. And I haven't heard from her in two days. So why do you think I lost?"

"I am sorry," she said, again. "I just couldn't take it anymore. That incident after the semi-finals was too much for me to take."

"Cristina, everyone has a moment like that. It will be forgotten in the next news cycle," he said.

"Well, it is not so easily forgotten by me," she said. "I feel humiliated and that is why I left. I don't think I can take another occurrence like that."

"So what does this mean? You're not coming back? You stick me with your friend, Charlie and you think that it is good enough and makes everything better," he almost spat out the words.

"No," she said. "I just need some time."

"Time? How much time, Cristina? One month, two months, six months?" he said, resentfully.

"I don't know," she said, honestly. "I just need some time."

"So while you're taking this time, what do you expect me to do? Just wait for you? What if I started dating again? Would you like that?" he said. He was hurting badly and he knew what he said would hurt her. Was she just willing to give him up that easily?

"You would do that?" she said, a little shocked.

"Well, you're telling me that you don't even know when you're coming back. A man has needs, you know," he said. He thought that would maybe just jolt her into coming back, if there was the possibility that he could be thinking of dating, again.

There was silence on the other end. In that instant, when he said those words, she made up her mind not to tell him about the pregnancy. If he could not wait for her and would begin to date other women, then maybe, it wasn't worth it. That hurt her so much. She wanted to cry but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

Finally, she spoke. "Okay, then, Owen. I guess this means goodbye." She hung up the phone and switched it off, immediately, so he couldn't call her back. She broke out into a wail and started to cry, uncontrollably.

"Wait!" Owen begged. "Cristina, don't go. I didn't mean it." But there was only silence on the other end. He screamed and threw his phone. This was not the way he wanted their phone conversation to go. He was so bitter about losing the match and it affected the way he spoke to Cristina. After 10 minutes, he picked up his phone and dialed the number. It went straight to voice mail, indicating that the phone was off. He left a message and hoped and prayed that she would call him back. But she never did.

* * *

After Wimbledon, he tried to get his head back into the game. There were a number of smaller tournaments, some he lost but others he won. His game was getting back in shape for the US Open in late August. He tried to put the disappointment of Wimbledon behind him and concentrate on his game. It was all he had left, he thought. He was going to focus on winning the US Open. Maybe he wasn't cut out for relationships, he thought. Maybe he should just get back to dating women he cared nothing about. He did try. It was easy for him to attract women and while he chatted with them at the parties that he attended, he never took any of them back with him at the hotel. In his heart, he knew he was still waiting for Cristina.

When he got to New York for the US Open, his game had returned to tip-top shape. Though he didn't want to admit it, Charlie was a pretty good assistant. He had years of experience of working on the circuit and it showed. Though he still wished it was Cristina who was his personal assistant, he still had to give kudos to Charlie for a job well done.

When he got to his first round match, he remembered that it was at this time last year, he had first seen Cristina with her two cousins, Nate and Nick. He remembered that she wasn't interested in tennis and was reading a book. He had to smile at the thought. That had been a great day. He wished today could have been different.

He won his first round match and then, he saw them. Nate and Nick Cohen, Cristina's little cousins! Maybe she was with them. He looked at the young woman next to them and realized that it was not Cristina. The girl was a redhead and was more than likely, just a babysitter. If the young Cohen boys' attendance at the US Open remained true to form, that meant that they would be at his second round match. He would ask Charlie to ask them to stay after the match, so he could talk to them. At least, it would work out in his favor that they were his biggest fans. At his second round match, he saw Charlie talking to Nate and Nick, who both nodded in unison at the request. The redhead looked a bit dumbfounded. She didn't know that Nate and Nick knew the number one ranked tennis player. She looked at her charges with a new found respect.

After the match, that Owen won easily, he met up with Nate and Nick and their babysitter. "Hey guys," he said. "I haven't seen you since Thanksgiving last year." The boys gave them a hug. Their babysitter seemed awestruck.

"How are you?" Nate asked. "By the way, this is Genevieve, she is our neighbor. My dad is paying her to stay with us during the tournament."

"Pleased to meet you, Genevieve," Owen said, putting out his hand. The girl gingerly shook it. "So are you all enjoying the tournament?"

"Well, only if you win," Nick said. Everyone laughed.

"I just want to ask if you've heard from Cristina," Owen asked. Nick and Nate gave each other a look. Owen caught it, immediately. "What is that look about, boys?"

"Well, our mom says if you spoke to us, we were not supposed to speak about Cristina," Nate said.

"Oh, come on," Owen said. "I care about her and I just want to know how she's doing." Nate and Nick exchanged another look. Nick sighed before he spoke. "Cristina is doing fine."

"She is? Have you heard from her lately?" Owen said. "I have tried calling her but her phone always seems to be off."

"We saw her two weeks ago, when we went for a visit to New Hampshire," Nate said. "She's doing great." What Nate did not mention was that his cousin was nearly five months pregnant. Everyone had been surprised to see Cristina's growing belly. Nate and Nick both touched her belly and felt the baby move. It was so amazing, they both thought.

"How did she look? What is she doing?" Owen asked, eager to find out any bit of news about Cristina.

"Well, she looked really pretty," Nick said. "She's working temporarily until she finds something more permanent."

"Okay," Owen said. He felt like the boys were holding something back about Cristina but he knew he couldn't just accuse them. "Thanks for telling me." He gave them all autographed tennis caps. "I will see you guys," he said. He watched them walk away, a little sad that he could not find out more.

* * *

He won the US Open. It was good to defend his title. He and Charlie did a few more tournaments before it was time to break for the holiday season. He spent a quiet Thanksgiving in the Hamptons. He had a number of meetings in the city before he would go to Vermont for the Christmas break. While he was at the meeting, he got a message from his mother that Katie had a baby and it was again a boy. That was just Katie's luck. He didn't make it back home until the week of Christmas. He was very anxious to see his new nephew, Ezra. He went across to her house and saw his three-week old nephew.

"Wow, they look so tiny at this stage," Owen said, holding his nephew in his arms. "Hey, Ezra, how are you?" He stroked the baby's cheek.

"You look good with him," Katie said. "I am sorry to hear about you and Cristina."

"Yeah, well, things happen," Owen said.

"Well, maybe you should go and see her," she said. "I mean she doesn't live that far away. Just an hour drive over the stateline."

"I am not sure she wants to see me," he said. "I have left messages for her to call me and she hasn't returned any of my calls. I haven't spoken to her since July."

"Maybe it is time to change that," Katie said. "I know you love her. You have to fight for her, Owen. You still want her. I know this."

"Yes," Owen said. "You know what, Katie? I am going to take my big sister's advice and go see her. The day after Christmas, I will make the trek to her house."

"Good boy, listen to your big sister," she said. "I always know best." She smiled. She just wanted her brother to be happy.

* * *

The Hunts had a festive Christmas holiday. Owen had a great time with his nephews but something was definitely missing. He remembered last Christmas, when Cristina and her family were there. How times had changed, he thought.

The day after Christmas, Owen drove across the state line into New Hampshire. The last time he was at their house, it was just after the French Open, when he and Cristina were trying to convince her parents that their relationship was real. Dammit, he thought, our relationship is real, even though it is in tatters, right now. He pulled up in the Yangs' driveway. The once-blooming garden was now covered in snow. He knocked on the front door. He could tell someone was approaching the door to open it. It was Mrs. Yang.

"Owen," she said. "This is a surprise."

"Yes, I know, happy holidays, Mrs. Yang," he said. "Can I come in? It is cold out here."

"Oh, sure," Helen said, stepping aside, so he could enter.

"I have come to see Cristina," Owen said. "I need to speak to her." Helen knew that if Owen saw Cristina, her secret would be out. There was really no hiding a belly when you are nearly full term. She wondered what to do. She didn't have to really make up her mind because Cristina emerged from the kitchen. "Hey, mom, who is at the door?" she said. Then, she saw her ex-boyfriend. "Owen, what are you doing here?"

Owen was speechless, as he saw her highly pregnant state. He could not speak for a moment until he finally found the words, "You're pregnant. Is it mine?"

* * *

**A/n Please leave your thoughts and comments. Thanks for being kind enough to do so.**


	30. Chapter 30 Revelation

"You're pregnant!" Owen said, again. "Obviously," Cristina said, a little drily.

"Well, it has got to be mine," he said. "It's mine, right?" For a moment there, Cristina hesitated. She could have lied and said it was not his and he would be gone, forever. Finally, she spoke, "Yes."

At this point, Helen excused herself, saying something about a tea-kettle whistling, when in fact, she had no kettle on the stove.

"Oh, my God, I can barely believe this," Owen said, happily. "When are you due?"

"Next week," she said. "The first week of January."

Then, it dawned on him. If she was due next week, then he had practically missed the entire pregnancy. He just felt that he had been robbed of all of the experiences that parents go through, when they're expecting a baby. His mood changed in an instant. "How could you do this? How could you not tell me that you were having a baby – our baby? It's my baby, too and I had a right to know." He was so angry with her. She glared at him. Wasn't he the one who said that he couldn't wait for her, while she took some needed time off?

"I am sorry I think you forfeited your chance to be part of this baby's life when you told me that you couldn't wait for me and you would start dating other women. That hurt me, terribly," she said. "Why should I tell you anything after that? You certainly didn't care about me."

"I didn't mean that, Cristina. That was all just bluster. Of course, I care. I care very much. I wanted to shock you into coming back to me. But obviously, it had the opposite effect. I can see that, now," he said. "So what were you going to put under Father on the baby's birth certificate?"

"Unknown," she said, softly. He slapped his forehead in frustration. He didn't know how to feel. He was mad at her for not telling him. He was happy that they were going to have a baby. He was sad that he missed out on everything.

"So I guess that means you weren't going to ask me for child support payments," he asked. She shook her head. "No, my dad and my mom said they would help me," she said, quietly. "After the baby is born, my mom was going to babysit while I look for a good job. I only have a temporary job, now."

"That means you were never going to tell me, were you? At this point, I almost wish that you were a money-hungry woman wanting to take me to the cleaners. If you were like that, I would have definitely known about this baby from much earlier in the pregnancy," he said. "So here we are, you're going to have the baby next week and I feel like I have missed out on all of the experiences." He sighed. He seemed so sad about that and she felt sorry about what she had done. She had her reasons but it still made her feel bad. She knew that he was extremely hurt.

"I have all of the ultrasounds, if you want to see them," she said, hoping that was some small consolation. He perked up, immediately. "Yes, please," he said.

"Okay, come to my bedroom. I have everything there," she said. He followed her to her bedroom. He looked around. It had not changed much, since he had stayed there in May. She went to her desk and picked up a book and she handed it to him. He realized she had started a baby book for their child. He opened it to the first page. "Baby Girl at 12 weeks," was the caption. He gasped as he could see the clear outline of the shape of the baby.

"It's a girl," he said. "The first female Hunt grandbaby."

"This was when I found out that I was pregnant," Cristina said. "I had already passed the first trimester. I only found out in July, when I came home after the incident with the press."

"At that point, were you going to tell me?" he asked, softly.

"Yes," she said. "When I called you after you lost the Wimbledon finale, you were so bitter and angry at me. Then, you made that remark that you were going to see other women. It was in that moment that I decided not to tell you about it."

He slapped his head, "Me and my big mouth. I want you to know that I haven't."

"Haven't what?" she asked.

"I haven't been seeing, dating or sleeping with other women. I have been waiting for you. Haven't you noticed that there aren't any pictures of me with women in the magazines or the net?" he said.

"No, I am sorry. I haven't been following you or your career over the past few months," she said. That hit him hard. It was like she had wanted to erase him out of her life. "It was just too painful to look at you," she added.

"Well, I haven't been with any other woman," he wanted to emphasize. "It has only been about you. I have been waiting for you to come back to me." He reached out and squeezed her hand. He was glad that she didn't pull away.

"Turn the page. The baby gets bigger in each ultrasound and I even have a 3D shot," she said, with a smile. "That one was just fabulous. It is the last ultrasound I took. You can really see what she is going to look like." Owen turned the pages and examined the pictures. He couldn't stop staring at the 3D shot of the baby. He touched the face. "Our baby," he said. "I think she is going to be beautiful, just like her momma."

"Well, that is all I have for now, until the baby is born," she said.

"Thank you for showing me this," he said. He dug into his bag. "I have something for you. You left it behind." He pulled out the IPad he had bought for her in London to replace the one that had been broken.

"Oh, I left that for Charlie," she said. "So he could do his work."

"No, it is not for Charlie," he replied. "I didn't buy the IPad for Cristina, the assistant. I bought it for Cristina, my girlfriend. So Charlie could not get it. It's yours."

"Okay, thanks," she said. She took the Ipad from him and placed it on her bed.

"Well, I am going to stay in town, Cristina," he said. "Until the baby is born. I want to be here when she comes. So, when you're ready, I am asking that you call me, please. I will be staying at that inn. Can you do that for me?"

"Okay," she said. "I will call you and tell you when it's time to go to the hospital."

"Thank you," he said, gratefully. "By the way, can I get a phone number for you? I have tried to call you, repeatedly but that phone always seems to be off."

"I haven't used that phone, since our last conversation," she said. She gave him her phone number and he put it into his phone. "So this one definitely works, right?" She nodded. He tried out the number, immediately and when he heard her phone ringing in her bedroom, he hung up. "I was just checking," he said, sheepishly. He looked at her and he so wanted to take her in his arms but he wasn't sure that she would be amenable to that.

Still, he wondered if she would allow him to feel her stomach. "Can I touch your stomach?" he asked. "Sure," she said. "It is actually a good time to do so. She is moving around, now. She is very active." He placed his hand on her stomach and felt the movement of the baby. It brought the hugest smile to his face. "Wow," he said. "Just wow."

"She is very active, especially at night," Cristina said, placing her hand on her stomach. "Makes it hard to sleep, sometimes." He could have sat there, all day, feeling the baby move. He reluctantly removed his hand. "I guess I better go check in the hotel," he said.

"Okay," Cristina said. She walked him out to the front door. "Goodbye," she said, as she closed the front door. Owen walked quickly to his car and when he got in, the first thing he did was call his mom.

"Mom," he said, as soon as she answered. "You are never going to believe this."

"What? She fell into your arms and took you back," his mom said, hopefully.

"Well, that didn't happen," he admitted. "But there is something else that is so fantastic, mom. Cristina is pregnant."

"What?" Bea screamed on the other end. "My grandbaby?"

"Yes, your grandbaby and it is a girl, too," Owen said.

"A girl grandbaby! Oh, my God," Bea said. "I have to sit down. When is she due?"

"Next week," Owen said. "I almost missed the entire pregnancy. I am so mad at her about that but at the same, I am so joyful."

"So what are your plans?" his mom asked.

"Well, I had planned to stay here, initially, so I could woo her back. But now, it is not only about that. I am staying until the baby is born," he said.

"I am beside myself with happiness," Bea said. "I can't wait to tell your father and your sister. Son, I am very happy for you. You will keep us posted."

"Will do, mom," he said. "I am going to check into the hotel, now."

* * *

Later that day, as he lay on his bed in his room, he thought about Cristina and wondered if she would like to go out to dinner with him. He called her. She answered but sounded a little sleepy.

"Hey, Cristina, would you like to go to dinner with me?" he asked. There was a hesitation before she answered. He was aware there was still a great emotional divide between the two of them. "Owen, you don't have to be nice to me. You don't have to ask me to dinner or anything like that. I know you are angry at me. I can accept that. It's okay," she said.

"I am not doing this to be nice. I just want us to connect, again. And I am not angry at you. Well, that's not true. I am still angry at you to a certain extent. But I am hoping that we can move past that," he told her.

"Well, tonight is not a good night for me," she said. "I am feeling a little bit tired, so I am making it an early night."

"Is everything okay?" he asked, a little alarmed.

"Yeah, I am fine," she said. "Just exhausted. This extra weight has taken a toll on my body. That's all."

"Well, tomorrow, then," he asked. "Can I take you out for dinner, then?" Again, there was a hesitation before she spoke. "What about if you come to our house for dinner? I will tell my mom to set an extra place setting for you. I really don't feel pretty these days and I feel like a frump in my maternity clothes, so I really don't want to go out for other people to observe me."

"That's not true, you're not frumpy. You're beautiful. Your hair is glossy black and your skin is flawless," he said. "Nobody can ever deny that."

"But my body is the size of a whale and it makes me uncomfortable," she said.

"That's the most beautiful thing about you. You're carrying our baby," he said. "That is the most wonderful gift that you can give me."

"Thank you for saying that but it's okay, I know what I look like," she said. "So I will see you tomorrow. Come around 6 p.m."

"Okay," he said. "Tomorrow."

* * *

The next day at 6 p.m., Owen found himself outside of the Yangs' front door. He had managed to get roses from the local florist.

He knocked on the front door. There seemed to be some sort of excitement going on in the inside of the house. He hoped everything was okay. He knocked again. Mr. Yang opened the door. "Oh, Owen, good thing you are here," Burt said. "We were just about to call you. Cristina's gone into labor and her water broke. We are heading to the hospital, now. We assume that you want to come."

"Yes, yes, of course," Owen said. He rushed into the house and found Cristina sitting, calmly on the couch, while her parents scurried around in a panic.

"She's coming!" he exclaimed, excitedly. "Our baby is going to be here."

"Yup," she said. "So it seems."

* * *

**A/N Please leave your thoughts and comments. Thanks for taking the time to do so.**


	31. Chapter 31 The Girl with No Name

"Yes, I have the bag ready," Helen said, triumphantly. "I thought I had an extra week to get this ready but my grand child is ready to be here." She had the overnight bag in her hand. "Cristina, let's get you in the car. Owen, you can follow us to the hospital in your vehicle." Owen nodded. This wasn't exactly the way he would have wanted it. He always imagined when his wife was going to have a baby, he would have been the one, taking her to the hospital.

But then again, Cristina was not his wife. At this point, she was only his baby's mother. Their relationship could not even be considered a friendship, since they were so distant to each other, emotionally. Their connection to each other was broken but he was hoping that the link could be fixed. He was willing to try and he hoped she was willing to do so. He watched as Cristina got into the back seat of her parents' car and then, he followed them to the hospital. It was a small hospital and he hoped they would be able to handle it, if there was an emergency. He parked the car and rushed into the hospital, just in time to see Cristina take a seat in a wheelchair. Her father was busy at the desk, registering his daughter, while Cristina and her mother were being taken to her room via an elevator. Owen chased after them and jumped in, right before the elevator closed.

"Yay, you are quite an athlete, young man. You made that leap like if you were a top tennis player," Cristina joked. He smiled. He was glad to see that she was in good spirits. The attendant gave Owen a second look. "Oh, my God, you're Owen Hunt," he said. Owen merely nodded. "Can I have your autograph and a picture?" The attendant dug in his pockets and pulled out a notebook. Owen signed his name and posed for a picture with the young man. Owen noticed the mood in the elevator changed after that. Cristina became quieter and didn't say anything, again. It was a realization that they could not escape his fame.

The attendant showed them to Cristina's room. Her mother helped get her into the bed. It was a nice room and he knew it was the best that her parents could afford. If they were in the Hamptons, he would have got her a lavish room. He just wished he could do so much more for her. But so far, the Yangs did not ask them for any financial help and he wished they would. He just so wanted to be part of it. After 10 minutes, Cristina's OB/GYN showed up.

"So, Cristina we are a week early," the doctor said. She nodded at Cristina's mom and Owen. She found the young man looked quite familiar but couldn't place him.

"Yeah, Dr. Fletcher," Cristina said. "At least she wasn't born on Christmas Day. I got to have a good Christmas day."

"So let me check you," Dr. Fletcher said. "Okay, you have a while to go yet. About 4 cm. How is the pain?"

"Manageable," Cristina said. "But I wouldn't refuse any drugs."

"Okay, I will talk to the nurses about it," the doctor said. She was going to say something else when Burt rushed into the room. "I am done with the paperwork," he said. "Oh, hi, Dr. Fletcher."

"Hello, Mr. Yang," Dr. Fletcher said. "Cristina, I see you have both your parents here but only one person can be allowed in here at the time of the delivery. We try to keep the non-medical personnel down to a minimum. So choose one person."

Cristina looked at her parents and Owen. As much as she loved her parents and how much they had done for her, she knew that by rights, it had to be Owen, there to see his baby being born. "It will be the baby's dad, Owen." She gestured towards Owen. He gave her a grateful smile. Then, it dawned on the doctor who he was.

"Oh, my God, you're Owen Hunt, the tennis player," Dr. Fletcher said. "My daughter, Jessie, is a huge fan. Can I get your autograph for her?"

"Yes," Owen said. The doctor pulled out a notebook and said. "Please put 'To Jessie'." Owen dutifully did so. He also posed for a photograph with the doctor. "Thank you, thank you," Dr. Fletcher said. "She will be so thrilled. Okay, I guess I will leave you guys. The nurses will keep me posted." She hurried out of the room. Nobody said anything about the encounter. Owen knew that it bothered the Yangs that his fame was constantly intruding on their private lives. Owen went and sat on the edge of Cristina's bed. He reached for her hand. "Thank you," he said.

"For what?" she asked. "For choosing me to be in the room with you, when the baby is born," he said, softly.

"I think as the baby's daddy, I guess you should be in here," she said. "I know you want to be part of this baby's life."

"I certainly do," he said. "This is a change from yesterday when you were going to cut me out, all together."

"Yeah, well, I have been thinking about it. I think the baby deserves to know her father and you're a decent man, a good man. I think she would like to have you as a father," she said. "I know you will be a good dad. I know I had my reasons but I guess I was wrong to keep the pregnancy from you. I am sorry."

"Me, too," he said. "I am sorry for what I said. I was just angry in that moment for losing the match and I took it out on you. I was in a really bad state after you left."

"I understand," she said. He hoped that they were making some headway but he realized that Cristina was speaking only in terms of the baby and not about them as a couple. He knew there was still a lot of work to do in that direction.

The hours passed and the doctor came and checked on Cristina every hour. Owen found that Cristina was remarkably stoic about the pain. She let out a few groans and yelps but otherwise, was remarkably quiet. There was a woman down the hall, who was screaming blue murder ever so often. "I thought you would be screaming and cursing me out for getting you pregnant," Owen said, as he listened to the woman scream.

"Oh, I think I am going to save that for when I actually have to push. It might be a good thing that my parents won't be in the room. They would be shocked that I know such salty language," she said. "I am so ready to have this baby out of me."

Dr. Fletcher popped back into the room in the wee hours of the morning on December 28. "Okay, Cristina, let's check you," she said. "Ten cm. Ah, yes, we are so ready."

"Mr. and Mrs. Yang, I will have to ask you to leave the room," Dr. Fletcher said. "Cristina, we are going to start pushing." She turned to Owen, "Daddy, do you want to sit behind her and support her back." Owen grinned at the fact that the doctor called him daddy. He slipped behind Cristina and allowed her to rest against him. "Comfortable?" he asked. "Well, as comfortable I could possibly be, trying to squeeze a watermelon out of my vagina," she answered. She gripped on to the sides of the beds, as she pushed and screamed. "You wanted to hear me scream, now you're going to get the full brunt of it," she told him. She screamed again, as she pushed. Owen felt his eardrums would burst with her screaming right in front of him.

"Doing so good, Cristina," the doctor said. "There's the head. Just one more push and we can get those shoulders out." Cristina pushed one final time and the doctor pulled the baby out. The baby started to cry, really loudly. "Hear that, Cristina," Owen said. "Our baby. It is the most brilliant thing I have ever seen in my life." The doctor cut the umbilical cord and a nurse wrapped the baby in a blanket and brought them to Cristina and Owen. Owen could not stop smiling , as he stared at the baby in Cristina's arms. "She is a beauty, baby girl Hunt."

"Oh, dear," Cristina said. "I just realized she doesn't have a name. I thought I would have another week to come up with something. Every time, I like a name, I then find somebody I don't like with the same name and I get turned off by the name."

A nurse came and took the baby. "We are going to get her checked out. We will bring her back a little bit later."

"Maybe by that time, we can find a good name for her," Owen said. "We can't keep calling her baby girl Hunt forever." Cristina chuckled. Owen laughed, too.

Cristina and baby girl Hunt stayed in the hospital for a total of two days. In that time, they couldn't come up with a name that they both liked. Every time one of them came up with a name, the other person nixed the idea. So, baby girl Hunt still did not have a name.

* * *

On the day she was checking out, Owen came in to make arrangements that any unpaid portion of Cristina's bills that was not covered by insurance should be sent to him. He desperately wanted to contribute to medical expenses. He went to her room to find that her parents were getting her ready to take her and the baby home.

"Hey, so I just wanted to let you know that I am paying whatever bills the insurance doesn't cover. I already made arrangements," Owen said. Mr. Yang looked up at him. "Thank you, Owen. You didn't have to do that."

"Actually, I did. I want Cristina and the baby to be my responsibility from now on," Owen said. "They are my family and a man has to take responsibility for his family." All three Yangs looked at him, as he let out a big breath. He had wanted to say this for the past few days and now, that he finally said it, he was a little unsure about how they were going to react to it.

"Owen," Cristina said. "We will discuss it, a little bit later. Is that okay?" He nodded. At least she was now going to really discuss them getting back together. So far, all their discussions had centered on the baby and not them as a couple or as a family. What he wanted was to take Cristina and his daughter back to his home in the Hamptons. If they were together, he thought, they could work their way back to each other.

He helped the Yangs get Cristina back to their house. When they got there, he told them that his parents were driving from Vermont to visit the next day. They were very excited to see the Hunt grandbaby girl. "And we still don't have a name for her," Cristina wailed. "Maybe they have some ideas," Owen said. "I am heading back to the hotel. I am going to book a room for them, there. I am going to come by later, Cristina, and we're going to have our talk." He kissed the baby and then, kissed Cristina on the lips. It was the first time they had kissed in about six months. She looked a little surprised but she didn't resist. In fact, he thought that she kissed him back. Progress, he thought.

As he left their house and headed back to the hotel, he got a call from his publicist, Norma Welles. "Owen, why didn't you tell me?" Norma said. "About the baby. We could have done a wonderful press release with a picture of you, the baby's mom and the baby."

"Norma, how did you know about the baby? I didn't know about the baby until about four days ago," Owen said. "My girlfriend and I had been having troubles and she didn't tell me anything about it, until I came to visit her at her house."

"What?" Norma said. "Doesn't this girl know she has a goldmine in that baby, since you are the father?"

"Cristina is not like that, Norma. You know that," Owen said. "You didn't answer my question. How did you know about the baby?"

"There is a picture of the baby in US Weekly," Norma said. "And it is not a very good picture, too. It was taken of her in the nursery at some hospital in New Hampshire. First of all, I thought it was a hoax but there are also pictures of you at the hospital."

"Oh, good Lord," Owen said. "Somebody at the hospital has sold pictures of the baby and me to the magazine." He could not believe it. His daughter was only two days old and already, her picture was out there. With this happening, he knew he could very well torpedo all of his chances to get back with Cristina. The intrusions on her privacy were what made her run away. Now this had to happen. He could not believe the horrible timing.

"Thanks, Norma, for giving me the heads up," Owen said. "I will speak to Cristina about it and we will let you know about the press announcement."

"Oh, by the way, I forgot to say congratulations. What is your baby's name?" Norma asked.

"Thanks, Norma. She doesn't have one as yet. We haven't agreed on anything," Owen said. "Anyway, if anybody enquires, we will just say that it is true that we had a baby girl and an announcement will be forthcoming."

"Yup, will do," Norma said. "Bye, Owen." As he hung up, he shook his head. This could not have come at a worse time. Will Cristina now be less amenable to the idea of them getting back together? He was still famous and people would still be interested in his private life. He hoped that she would understand.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your thoughts and comments. I do appreciate reading them.**


	32. Chapter 32 Compromise

Owen went back to Cristina's house later on in the day. He needed to chat with her about their baby's picture appearing in the magazine. He knocked on the front door. It was opened by Burt. "Come on in, Owen," Burt said. "Cristina and the baby are in her room."

"Thanks," Owen said and headed straight to the bedroom. Cristina was breastfeeding the baby in her room, as she sat on her bed. He came and sat next to her. "Just finishing up here," she said. "Plus she looks like she is half-asleep."

The baby's mouth loosened on Cristina's nipple. "I guess that is it. She is down for the count," Cristina said, as she got up and placed the sleeping baby in her crib. The crib was Cristina's own, when she was a baby.

"I need to talk," Owen said. "Can we go somewhere else? I don't want to wake the baby. Bring your IPad, too." She looked surprised but she picked up her IPad and they left the bedroom. She showed him to her father's study. "We can talk in here," she said, opening the door. He walked in and closed the door behind him.

"Bring up the US Weekly website," Owen said. She did so and gasped when she saw the picture of their baby. "Oh my God, somebody took her picture and sold it!" She looked at the rest of the article and realized pictures were also taken of Owen at the hospital.

"I am so pissed!" she said. "They violated our privacy! Baby Girl Hunt is only two days old and already, she is in a magazine."

"I am so sorry," he said. She gave him a quizzical look. "It's not your fault. They took your picture and her picture without asking."

"Yeah, that's true. But they wouldn't have taken our picture if I wasn't who I was," he said, apologetically.

"But that has always been the underlying problem, hasn't it?" she said, softly. "Your fame?"

"What do you want me to do? Quit playing tennis?" he asked. "What could I do to make this better? I want us to be together – me, you and Baby Girl Hunt."

"No, of course not. You should not stop playing tennis. You are one of the best in the world at it. You were given a gift and you should share it with the world. Besides, you love the game. I would never tell you to stop doing something that you love," she said. "Besides, even if you quit playing tennis, that doesn't mean your fame is going to go away. It is always going to be there. Everyone still knows who Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras are. They're still famous, even after they quit tennis. People still take their picture."

"But I also want you and Baby Girl Hunt with me. You left me because of the fame and the photographers," he said. "I don't want you here in New Hampshire and me somewhere else. I want to be able to see you guys all of the time. These last six months have been extremely hard. I missed you every day. Didn't you miss me? Didn't you think about me?"

"Yes, I missed you. I missed you all of the time. The child in my body was a constant reminder of you," she said. "Sometimes, in the middle of the night, when I was alone in my bed, I would feel her moving inside of me and cry, thinking about you."

"I love you so much, Cristina," he said. "I have never stopped loving you. We need to work this out. Please."

"But me coming back to you doesn't solve our problems with the media taking our photographs?" she said.

"No, it doesn't," he said, sadly. "I can take it but I would like to shield you and baby girl Hunt from it all."

"I don't think you can possibly protect us from the glare of the media," she said. "I know that now. But we can minimize it. You want us to be together as a family. Yeah, I want us to be together as a family. Baby girl Hunt needs her mommy and her daddy," she said. He grabbed her and kissed her "That is the greatest piece of news I have heard this week, other than my baby, of course," he said.

"I am glad that you're happy," she said. "So am I. But there is one thing. Baby girl Hunt and I are not going out on the road with you."

"What?" he said. "So what are you going to do?"

"We're going to stay in the house in the Hamptons," she told him. "Nobody really bothers us there much. A lot of people are rich and/or famous there so they wouldn't care about us."

"But I will miss you guys," he said, pouting a bit. He had a vision of his entire family traveling with him, as he competed.

"But, Owen, it will be hell to travel with the baby," she said. "She is so small. When we get bigger, we could probably meet you on the road now and then. But I don't think it is wise to travel with a baby this young." He reluctantly had to agree. The baby could be exposed to so many different harmful things, while they were traveling. Plus the photographers would be in a frenzy to take the baby's picture.

"Okay," he said. "At least, we will be together. Well, not physically, if I am traveling but emotionally, we will be together."

"We also have to do one other thing," she said. "And I think I have got it."

"What?" he asked. "Well, we have to stop calling our daughter Baby Girl Hunt," Cristina said. "And as I am sitting here, I see a name I really, really like."

"What name?" he asked, looking around the study which was filled with books. She pointed to a book. "Maeve. That's her name." He followed her finger to a book which was written by Irish author, Maeve Binchy. "You know, I like that name, too," he said. "Maeve Hunt, no longer Baby Girl Hunt. I guess she now has a name." They both grinned at each other.

* * *

The next day, Moe and Bea Hunt arrived at the Yangs' doorstep. It was December 31, the last day of the year. Bea was so excited she could hardly stand it. Her first girl grandbaby. Helen Yang opened the door and was suddenly enveloped in a huge hug by her fellow grandma.

"Helen!" Bea screamed. "Good to see you, too, Bea," Helen said, with a smile. She gave Moe a kiss on the cheek.

"So where is she?" Bea said. She could not stay still. "I will get Cristina and the baby," Helen said. She returned a couple of minutes later, followed by her daughter, holding her granddaughter.

"Cristina!" Bea screamed. She ran across and gave her son's girlfriend a kiss on the cheek. She then turned her attention to her granddaughter. "She is so beautiful, Cristina," Bea said. She stroked the baby's dark hair. All of the other Hunt grandchildren were blonde. This was the first with dark hair. "May I?" she asked, hopefully. Cristina handed the baby to Bea, who cooed with pleasure when she took the baby in her arms. Moe came across to admire his granddaughter.

"She has a name, now," Cristina said. "We've decided to call her Maeve."

"Like the author?" Moe asked. Cristina nodded. "Is Owen here?" Bea asked.

"He just went down to the store to get some more diapers," Cristina said. "I never knew that one small person could use up so many diapers so fast."

"Give her to me," Moe demanded of his wife. "She's my grandbaby too." Bea reluctantly handed the baby over to her husband. Just then, the door opened and Owen came in, carrying three packages of newborn diapers.

"Oh, great," Cristina said, as she took the packages from Owen. "She was down to her last two diapers." She disappeared with the diapers to put them in her room.

"Hey, mom, dad," Owen said, as he kissed his mom and patted his dad on the back. "So you've met Maeve."

"Oh, son, she is so wonderful," his mom gushed. "I am so happy that I feel my heart will burst with joy."

When Cristina returned, Owen decided it was a good time as any to tell everyone his plans. "Since we're all here, I was wondering whether we could have a little combination celebration tonight at the hotel, I have arranged for all of us to have a late dinner, there. It will be a celebration of Maeve's birth and also we can ring in the New Year, too."

"Yes, I think we can do that," Helen said. "It would be nice to go out and have dinner. I am sure Burt would agree."

"Yes, son," Moe said. "I think that will be a tremendous idea." He was looking forward to it, very much.

* * *

Everyone got all dressed up for dinner, that night. Even Maeve, but she was going to sleep through the whole thing. She was asleep in her carrier, oblivious to what was going on around her. As they sat down to enjoy the dinner, Owen whispered that the hotel had put a bassinet in his room, so if she wanted to stay the night, there was a place for the baby to sleep. She reached under the table and squeezed his hand. He knew that meant yes. He was happy. It would be the first time they would sleep in the same bed in months.

The families ate and drank the night away and when it was midnight, they all tooted their horns, toasted and cheered. Owen stood up with his champagne in hand to give a toast, "I am possibly the happiest man in the world," he said. "All of my success on the court cannot compare to what I feel right now. I am back with the love of my life and I am the father of the most precious baby in the world. I think that this year will be the best year ever, with Cristina and Maeve with me. So here's to a brand new year. The first year of being together forever." Everyone toasted with champagne, except Cristina, who was drinking sparkling grape juice, since she was breastfeeding.

After all of the toasting, the Hunts retired to their room, while the Yangs drove home. Cristina, Owen and Maeve went back to his room. Maeve got up for a feeding and they also changed her diaper. She quickly fell back asleep and they placed their sleeping baby in the bassinet. Cristina changed her dress into one of Owen's t-shirts, while he changed into his pjs. After brushing their teeth, they crawled into the huge, comfy bed.

"We can't get too comfortable," Cristina said. "She's probably going to get up again for a feeding. I never knew that newborn babies used to eat this much, this often."

"It's a lot of work, I know. If I could breastfeed for you, I would," he said, seriously. She had to laugh. "But since I can't do that, I am signing up for diaper duty and bathing duty."

"Thank you," she said. "That would be a great help. She is a good baby, though. She hardly ever cries. She is satisfied once her tummy is full and her diaper is clean. She also wants to be held and loved, now and then. But other than that, she is pretty darn good." She snuggled against him. He wrapped his arms around her.

"This is so great," he said. "Me and you in the same bed, once again. It has been like six months. Won't it be nice to sleep in our own bed in our own house in the Hamptons?"

"Yes," she said. "Did you mean that? In your toast, you said that this year would be the first year of being together forever."

"Of course," he said. "I meant every single word." She paused, thinking before she looked up at him.

"So do you want to get married?" she asked.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your thoughts and comments. Thanks for being kind enough to do so.**


	33. Chapter 33 Happy Together

**A/N: Final chapter**

* * *

_**Seven months later**_

Owen was getting changed into his tux. Today was his wedding day. He thought back about the day that Cristina had asked him if he wanted to get married in the wee hours of New Year's Day. He turned around and immediately said yes. He smiled as he thought about how they had made out after that. There was no love-making that night because Cristina had just had Maeve. But they immediately made up for lost time, when the doctor told them they could start having sex once again, several weeks later.

Cristina and Maeve had moved back to the Hamptons, while Owen went back to the tennis circuit with Charlie. While he was out there, he missed his family so much, so he skyped every day from wherever he was. He didn't want to miss all of the changes in Maeve, as she grew. He changed his schedule so he could play fewer tournaments and had time to go back to New York to see his family. Those were the best times of the year. He still played all of the big tournaments. He lost the Australian Open to Dominic and the French Open to Pablo. But while he was stoked for competition, it didn't bother him as much as it would have, a year ago. He recognized it was because he was so content in his personal life. He still had the desire to win but it was not the be-all and end-all. He did win at Wimbledon and he was grateful for that, having lost it the year before.

What a difference a year makes, he thought to himself. A year ago, just after Wimbledon, he was at his lowest point. Cristina had left him and he had lost the tournament. Now, he was getting married on his Hamptons estate. Baby Maeve was nearly seven months old. It wasn't going to be a huge wedding – mainly his family and her family and some of the tennis players from the circuit and their significant others. Also, Cristina's college friends from Dartmouth would be attending. Owen's management team would also be part of the invited guest list. Jesper and his wife, Pia and their baby were also attending, as well as Charlie and his girlfriend.

There was a knock on the door. "Come in," Owen said. It was his dad, Moe.

"Hey, Dad, can you help me this bow tie? I don't know what's wrong with me this morning. I seem to be all thumbs," Owen said. His dad got to work on tying the tie. "It's good to have a little bit of nerves, son. It shows that you care. I just came to tell you, son that I am so proud of you. Not just what you do professionally. You've made your mom and me proud for years. But it is not about that. We're proud about how you stepped up for your family – your fiancée and your baby girl. How you changed your life for them," Moe said.

"It was easy, dad. I love Cristina so much. I wanted to change for her," he said. "And it is so easy to love Maeve. Even before she was born, I knew that I loved her." His dad finished off the tie. Owen checked himself in the mirror. He thought he looked good. He hoped Cristina thought so, too.

"So how is my best man doing? Or should I say best person?" Owen asked. Owen's best person was his sister, Katie. Katie was always there for Owen, since he was a little boy. Their three-year age difference meant that Katie was protective of her little brother. Other than Cristina, Katie was his best friend.

"Oh, Katie is doing fine," Moe said. "At least Keith and your mom are helping by taking charge of all of the boys." Owen smiled at the thought of his five nephews.

* * *

In the master bedroom, Cristina was getting ready. She had chosen an ivory lace slim-fit gown. She said she was not doing white because everyone already knew that she had a baby, so who the heck was she fooling? Her mom was helping her with her dress. "You look beautiful, baby."

"How is Maeve?" she asked. "Doing well. Bea has her and spoiling her rotten," Helen said.

"Good," Cristina said. She was glad she didn't have to bother too much with Maeve's care, since she was otherwise pre-occupied with this wedding. "I think we're ready, mom," she said. Cristina's only bridesmaid was a friend from childhood, Lorena. Lorena stuck in her head. "I think they want to start in five minutes. Your handsome fiancé is already at the top of the aisle, waiting for you."

"Thanks, Lorena," Cristina said. "By the way, you're stunning, Cristina," Lorena told her. Her friend grinned at her.

* * *

Owen could not stop smiling when he saw Cristina come down the aisle with both her parents. His dreams had come true. It was a lovely, simple ceremony and they used traditional vows. When it was over, after he kissed her, Owen whispered, "We're finally married. I am so, so happy." She whispered back, "Me, too. I have something to tell you. I am pregnant."

"What!" Owen said, pulling her into his arms in a tight embrace. "I am going to be a dad, again."

"Yes, and this time, you will be able to take part in the pregnancy," she whispered. She knew that even though he had forgiven her about not telling him about her first pregnancy, it still hurt him that he almost missed it all.

"Oh, yes," he said. "How far gone are you?"

"Ten weeks," he said. People wondered what the young couple was talking about on the altar, amid all of the cheers and the applause. As they walked down the aisle together, they both had the biggest smiles on their faces.

* * *

_**Two years later**_

As he hoisted the trophy for the US Open, the announcer wanted a short interview. "So Owen, what's next for you?"

"Well, Earl, I just wanted to say that this was my last tournament as I am retiring," Owen said, with a big grin. There was an audible gasp around the stadium. No one expected that, especially since he was still winning on the courts.

"Now, that does come as a surprise," Earl said. "Why have you decided to retire?"

"Well, I am 30 years old now. I have accomplished all I ever wanted to do on the courts. I have two beautiful kids and I want to watch them grow up. My daughter, Maeve, is nearly three years old and my little boy, Caleb is 18 months old. I also want to go to college because I never got the chance to do so, since I have been playing for 12 years now. I have been accepted at Columbia University and as soon I am done here, I will be a freshman," Owen said.

"Well, you will be the most famous freshman at Columbia, this year," Earl said. "Congratulations, Owen and good luck. You have been one of the greatest champions this game has ever seen."

"Thank you," Owen said, as the crowd cheered and clapped for him.

As they drove to their new apartment at Central Park West, Cristina asked Owen, "No regrets, baby?" They had bought that apartment, when Owen got accepted into Columbia, earlier that year.

"None, whatsoever," he said. "I have done I ever wanted to do. I have enough money to last us a lifetime. I just want to enjoy the fruits of my labor. I want to go to University and enjoy it. I may be the oldest freshman but I think I am going to like it."

"Good," Cristina said. She looked back at their two babies in the back seat, both asleep in their car seats. "By the way, I am now a licensed realtor. I am going to start selling Manhattan properties." When they had been looking at apartments to buy earlier that year, she became enamored with what the realtor was doing and she decided to pursue her real estate license.

"That's great, honey," he said.

"Well, I figured I needed to get back in the working world. I am 25 years old, now," she said. "I have spent the last three years with my babies. As a realtor, I can work my own hours and still have time for the babies."

"Any more babies?" he asked, hopefully. She looked at him in mock horror before she broke out in a grin and said, "There is a possibility we can have one more but that is it. These two are enough work, right now, especially since they are so close in age."

"So we both have our next adventure in life," he said. "You, a realtor and me, a University student. Do you think Marguerite has anything prepared for us at the apartment?"

"I am sure she has," Cristina replied. She reached over and took her husband's hand and kissed it.

* * *

_**Four years later  
**_Cristina and her children were sitting in the audience, waiting for when Owen would cross the stage to accept his diploma. Maeve was six and turning seven later that year, Caleb had turned five earlier that year and their youngest child, Sebastian, was now two years old. When they announced his name, the two older children perked up immediately and clapped when they saw him. Earlier during the ceremony, he had delivered the speech on behalf of the graduates. He had been a particularly stellar student, it turned out. Cristina was so proud of him, even though he constantly joked that at 34, he was probably the oldest graduating senior.

After the graduating ceremony, lots of people came up to congratulate him. He posed for pictures with his family for the newspapers. He was not only the oldest graduating senior, he was also the most famous graduating senior. As Cristina had once told him, retirement from tennis had not dimmed his fame. People still wanted to take his picture. Over the years, she had gotten used to people taking her picture, whenever they went out in Manhattan. She still didn't like all of the pictures but she didn't allow it to bother her too much.

As for her job, her status as Owen Hunt's wife proved to be a blessing. Being married to someone famous had its advantages. It gave her a foot in the door when people were looking for an agent to sell their prestigious properties. She was one of the stars at her real estate company.

"So what are we going to do now?" she asked. "Let's go to the Hamptons for the summer."

"Yes, I was thinking of doing that," he said. "Then, I want to start my next adventure."

"What's that?" she asked. "You know you don't have to work. We have enough to last us the rest of our lives."

"I don't think I want to sit on the porch of our home, every evening. Not that is anything wrong with that. I may eventually want to do that," he said. "But not right now. I am still a young man. I want to start a sports management company."

"Sports management?" she asked. "Well, you do understand what it's like to be an athlete and all of what it entails. I think you will be good at it. You are good at anything once you put your mind to it. I will support you."

"Thanks, baby," he said. He looked around at his three children and his wife. He was a happy, content man. When he was winning all of the tennis tournaments, he thought he was happy. He didn't know true happiness until now. With his family by his side, Owen felt that life was still full of promise.

_**The End**_

* * *

**A/N Please leave your thoughts and comments. Thanks for sharing this journey with me. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I hope you leave your final thoughts.**


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